LIBRARY 

OF    THE 

Theological     Seminary, 

PRINCETON,     N.    J. 

__  , Ti"— ^2 

Case'    BX    9225    .P38    P38    1877 

Shelf- 


Book 


All   for   Christ 


A     DONATION 


7ht. 


Hfcnbcb 


All  for  Christ: 

A    SKETCH 


OF 


THE  LIFE  AND  LABORS 


OF    THE 


REV.  CHARLES  H.  PAYSON. 


EDITED  BY  HIS  BROTHER. 


TENIIO    ET    TENEOR. 


AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

I5O  NASSAU  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


DEDICATION. 


TO  THE  DEAR  FATHERLESS  CHILDREN, 

CHARLIE,  bARAH,  BESSIE,  EDDIE,  AND  MAY, 

THIS  VOLUME 
IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


This  little  book,  as  will  readily  be  seen,  is  not  the 
work  of  any  one  hand.  It  is  a  mosaic  of  varied  tributes 
to  the  memory  of  a  good  and  brave  man,  which  have 
been  collected  from  many  sides,  and  testify  to  the 
esteem  and  admiration  with  which  he  was  regarded  by 
all  who  knew  him.  His  friends  and  associates,  co-labor- 
ers in  the  field  of  New  York  city  missions  and  brethren 
in  the  ministry,  the  members  of  his  own  and  of  his 
father's  family,  and  some  who  only  knew  him  casually, 
have  joined  to  make  this  picture  of  his  life  ;  and  however 
imperfect  it  may  appear,  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  not  be 
without  some  good  results  of  cheer,  and  comfort,  and 
instruction. 

I  confess  to  feelings  of  great  reluctance  at  the  thought 
of  undertaking  even  to  edit  a  memorial  of  my  brother's 
life,  well  knowing  that  my  love  for  him  might  make  me 
partial.  But  Providential  events  and  the  judgment  of 
friends  constrained  me  to  forego  these  scruples,  and  to 
attempt  a  work  which  has  been  delightful  just  in  pro- 
portion as  it  has  proved  laborious ;  and  I  can  but  indulge 
the  hope  that  the  intimacy  of  those  fraternal  relations  in 
which  for  many  years  he  acted  towards  me  as  a  father 


4  PREFACE. 

towards  his  son,  may  have  conduced  to  some  apprecia- 
tive views  of  his  work,  which  might  not  have  been  se- 
cured from  a  different  point  of  observation. 

Due  credit  has  been  given  in  the  book  itself  so  far 
as  practicable  to  those  who  by  letter  or  otherwise  have 
kindly  contributed  to  its  material.  But  it  is  proper  to 
state  here  that  the  reminiscences  of  my  brother's  early 
home  and  education  have  been  mainly  furnished  by  his 
college  classmate  and  lifelong  friend,  the  Rev.  C.  D.  Hel- 
mer,  D.  D.,  of  Brooklyn,  and  that  in  the  editorial  work  I 
have  been  greatly  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Geo.  L.  Prentiss, 
D.  D.,  formerly  pastor  of  the  Church  of  the  Covenant  in 
this  city,  and  now  Professor  in  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary.  Dr.  Prentiss  was  for  many  years  familiar  with 
my  brother's  labors,  was  warmly  attached  to  him,  and 
has  taken  the  deepest  interest  in  the  preparation  of  this 
memorial.  To  these  gentlemen  my  thanks  are  specially 
due.  g.  s.  p. 

Inwood-on-Hudson, 

New  York  City,  Nov.,  1877. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Early  Life  and  Education PAGE       7 

CHAPTER  II. 

Letters  from  Abroad 33 

CHAPTER  III. 
Field  of  Labor - 65 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Methods  and  Means.     A.  Various 91 

CHAPTER  V. 
Methods  and  Means.     B.  Systematic  Beneficence 119 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Army  Life  and  Travels  in  the  East  - 145 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Old  and  the  New - - 160 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Home  Life  and  Personal  Characteristics 1S3 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Last  Days - 213 

APPENDIX. 

Note  A 253 

Note  B 259 

Note  C 266 

i\ole  L>   272 


When  comes  the  hour,  which  now  I  may  not  know, 
When  from  this  changing  world  my  soul  must  go, 
Will  my  life's  plans  be  broken  ?     Truly,  no. 

God  placed  me  here  ;  I  chose  not  place  or  name, 
To  do  his  work,  his  business,  be  my  aim, 
Through  every  day,  in  all  the  plans  I  frame. 

My  one  great  aim  in  which  all  others  blend, 

To  which  my  work,  my  pleasures,  pastimes  tend, 

Be  to  fill  well  the  time  my  God  may  send. 

Then  when  he  calls,  wherever  I  may  be, 
Doing  the  common  work  he  gives  to  me, 
At  books,  or  prayer,  abroad,  on  land  or  sea, 

My  soul  will  not  be  stricken  with  dismay ; 

A  home  and  treasure  have  I  far  away, 

Whither  my  Lord  will  guide  me  on  that  day. 

• 
My  real  life  unbroken  passes  on, 

Working  in  shadow  till  the  night  is  gone, 

Rising  to  higher  service  with  the  dawn. 

I  hold  a  mystic  thread  within  my  hand, 
My  little  plans  imbraided  strand  in  strand, 
Anchored  far  onward  in  the  unknown  land. 

What  time  mine  eye  is  single,  full  of  light, 

'T  is  plain  and  palpable,  and  ever  bright, 

A  guide  to  lead  me  through  this  earthly  night. 

I  see  its  glow  away  where  dim  wings  shiver, 
Above  the  shadows  of  death's  gloomy  river, 
And  on  beyond  within  the  vast  for  ever.  persie  vere. 


ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 


CHAPTER   I. 

EARLY  LIFE  AND  EDUCATION. 

Charles  Henry  Payson,  whose  early  death  is  so 
widely  and  tenderly  lamented,  deserves  a  more  perma- 
nent recognition  than  that  of  a  transient  obituary  notice. 
From  the  merely  human  point  of  view,  we  should  say 
that  Mr.  Payson's  decease  was  untimely,  for  his  career 
was  ended  in  the  very  prime  of  his  physical  and  mental 
powers,  and  in  the  midst  of  most  abundant  usefulness. 
But  the  memory  of  those  who  have  illustrated  the  teach- 
ings and  the  spirit  of  Jesus  is  gold  in  the  treasury  of  the 
saints  on  earth.  In  heaven  the  names  of  such  are  imper- 
ishable, and  radiant  with  a  lustre  of  glory  that  nothing 
will  ever  dim.  And  among  those  who  still  live  to  work 
and  pray  and  hope  for  the  regeneration  of  mankind, 
these  names  remain  as  sacred  possessions  and  stimula- 
ting examples. 

Mr.  Payson  was  born  in  Leominster,  Mass.,  Septem- 
ber 28,  183 1.  He  was  the  eldest  child  of  Rev.  Phillips 
and  Elizabeth  Boutelle  Payson,  inheriting  thus  a  name 


S  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

eminent  among  the  most  honored  Christian  families  of 
New  England,  and  fragrant  with  associations  of  devout 
piety  and  holy  zeal.  The  father  of  Phillips  Payson,  the 
Rev.  Seth  Payson,  D.  D.,  was  for  many  years  pastor  of 
the  Congregational  church  of  Rindge,  N.  H.  His  eldest 
son,  Edward,  became  a  successful  and  distinguished  min- 
ister in  Portland,  Me.,  where  he  died  at  the  early  age  of 
forty-four  years,  leaving  behind  him  a  reputation  for  saint- 
liness  and  devotion  to  the  Lord's  work  which  for  half  a 
century  has  been  most  fondly  cherished  by  Christians 
everywhere. 

Phillips,  a  younger  brother  of  Edward,  was  born  in 
Rindge,  N.  H.,  August  n,  1795,  and  died  in  Fayetteville, 
N.  Y.,  February  16,  1856.  Having  prepared  for  Dart- 
mouth College,  ill-health  prevented  him  from  pursuing 
the  course  of  study ;  but  he  was  graduated  in  due  course 
at  the  Theological  Seminary  in  Andover,  Mass.,  1820. 
Never  robust,  his  whole  life  became  a  struggle  with  the 
obstacles  and  limitations  of  physical  infirmity. 

He  became  pastor  first  of  the  "  Calvinistic  church" 
of  Leominster,  Mass.,  which  grew  rapidly  under  his  min- 
istrations. But  the  failure  of  his  health  compelled  him 
to  quit  the  field  after  several  years  of  very  successful 
ministry.  His  name  is  fragrant  there  to-day  with  some 
of  the  most  hallowed  and  tenderly-cherished  associations 
which  cluster  around  the  early  history  of  that  church. 

He  was  afterward  settled  in  Hadley,  Mass. ;  then 
again  in  North  Lyme,  Conn.  ;  and  finally  in  Harpersfield, 
N.  Y.  But  finding  himself  physically  unable  to  perform 
the  arduous  duties  of  the  pastoral  office,  he  abandoned 


EARLY  LIFE  AND  EDUCATION.  9 

the  active  work  of  the  ministry,  and  became  a  teacher  in 
Ames,  N.  Y.,  until  compelled  at  last  to  give  up  all  labor 
requiring  mental  or  physical  exertion.  The  last  part  of 
his  life  was  devoted  to  the  education  of  his  children. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  none  of  his  private  let- 
ters remain  which  might  serve  to  throw  a  light  upon  his 
character,  or  to  reveal  the  holy  influence  which  he  exerted 
in  his  family.  That  influence  was  very  great,  especially 
upon  his  eldest  son,  who  to  the  very  end  of  life  cherished 
and  revered  the  memory  of  his  father  as  an  inspiration. 
Even  while  dying  he  was  overheard  to  say,  "  It  may  be 
I  shall  meet  father  and  mother  and  Jesus  to-day." 

Phillips  Payson  was  a  holy  man,  deeply  and  tenderly 
beloved  by  those  who  knew  him  best  in  the  best  years  of 
his  life.  The  late  Dr.  Todd  of  Pittsfield  once  said  of 
him,  that  when  he  was  settled  in  Leominster  "he  was 
the  John  of  their  association."  By  the  several  churches 
of  his  charge  his  name  is  still  remembered  with  affection. 
In  the  family-life,  his  fondness  for  his  children,  his  devo- 
tion to  their  good,  his  perfect  consecration  to  the  Divine 
will,  and  above  all  his  cheerful  and  unfaltering  trust  in 
God,  made  his  presence  felt  as  a  simple  benediction.  His 
patience  was  complete.  His  faith  never  seemed  to  falter 
even  in  the  darkest  hours.  It  made  his  daily  life  a  hymn 
of  praise  and  prayer,  so  that,  as  one  of  his  children  rev- 
erently said,  "his  face  seemed  often  lighted  with  glory." 
His  strongest  desire  for  his  children  was  that  they  might 
be  faithful  followers  of  Christ,  and  his  one  great  prayer 
for  them,  "  Lord,  that  they  all  may  be  thine  !"  He  saw 
the  fulfilment  of  this  desire  in   the  conversion   of  the 


io  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

youngest  members  of  his  family  only  a  few  weeks  before 
his  death,  and  on  his  return  from  their  first  communion 
together,  said,  "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  de- 
part in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation." 
"  How  exhilarating  and  transporting  the  forethought,"  he 
writes  to  one  of  his  children,  "  that  (as  we  have  often 
prayed)  we  as  an  entire  family  shall  at  last  be  gathered 
around  the  throne."  And  his  last  words  seem  but  the 
echo  of  his  life,  "  I  die  assured  of  heaven." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  influence  of  such  a  man 
upon  his  family  was  very  great.  Not  only  was  it  a  con- 
trolling influence — for  a  single  word  or  look  from  him  was 
the  certain  "end  of  strife" — but  it  was  a  most  beneficent 
and  inspiring  one.  It  made  religion  honorable  in  their 
eyes.  Such  steadfast  faith  and  true  obedience  to  God 
were  seen  to  be  the  only  ends  of  life  worth  living  for. 
And  far  above  all  gold  and  treasures  which  this  world 
can  give,  his  children  prize  the  legacy  of  Christian  exam- 
ple and  Christian  education  and  Christian  principles  left 
them  by  this  sainted  father. 

Charles,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  eldest  of 
the  family.  He  inherited  the  high  intellectual  and  large 
moral  and  spiritual  qualities  of  this  cultured  Christian 
ancestry.  He  was  in  the  line  of  the  gospel  ministry,  by 
birth,  by  the  faith  and  prayers  and  training  of  his  parents, 
and  by  all  the  most  potent  influences  that  streamed  upon 
his  young  mind  and  flowed  around  his  early  life. 

The  moulding  influence  of  a  mother's  character  upon 
her  son  has  always  been  recognized,  and  Charles  Payson 
was  fortunate  in  having  a  mother  whose  piety  and  intel- 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  ED  UCATION.  1 1 

ligence  were  remarkable.  She  belonged  to  the  class  of 
holy  women  who,  like  Hannah,  devote  their  children  to 
the  Lord  from  the  very  beginning  of  their  existence.  In 
her  private  diary,  still  a  rich  legacy  in  the  possession  of 
her  children,  is  recorded  this  prayer  of  her  heart  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage  : 

Oh,  deny  me  the  necessaries  of  life  rather  than  take  the  Holy  Spirit 
from  me!  Without  his  illumination  all  will  be  to  me  a  dreary  waste; 
every  Christian  grace  will  become  languid,  and  I  shall  see  and  do  nothing 
for  the  salvation  of  sinners. 

If  any  mother  ever  realized  the  responsibility  of 
maternity,  surely  Mrs.  Payson  did.  Her  soul  yearned 
for  the  moral  and  spiritual  welfare  of  her  children ;  and 
through  them  she  hoped  to  glorify  God  in  the  salvation 
of  mankind.  And  the  fact  that  all  her  children  early 
gave  themselves  to  the  service  of  God,  that  the  three 
sons  all  entered  the  gospel  ministry,  and  that  one  of  the 
daughters  became  a  foreign  missionary  in  China,  are 
notable  evidences  that  God  hears  the  prayers  of  faithful 
parents  who  trust  his  grace  for  themselves  and  for  their 
offspring. 

At  the  risk  of  intruding  upon  the  sanctity  of  private 
records  which  this  devout  mother  probably  never  dreamed 
would  see  the  broad  light  of  public  print,  it  is  deemed 
desirable  to  make  some  brief  extracts  from  her  diary, 
touching  this  very  important  matter  of  consecrating  chil- 
dren to  the  Lord.     Of  September  28,  1831,  she  writes : 

This  is  an  eventful  day.  A  young  immortal,  a  dear  and  lovely  son, 
was  committed  to  our  charge.  I  hope  I  receive  it  as  a  blessing  from  the 
King  of  heaven.  Never  did  I  know  before  the  responsibility  of  such  a 
pledge.  May  I  have  grace  to  dedicate  this  child  daily  to  God,  feeling  it 
not  my  own,  but  lent  me  for  a  few  days,  to  pray  for  and  instruct  in  the 


12  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

ways  of  religion.  Oh  that  its  life  may  be  spared,  and  may  it  now  be  sanc- 
tified, even  now  ;  that  its  first  moral  acts  may  be  those  of  conformity  to  the 
requirements  of  the  gospel.  How  solemn  the  thought  that  this  child  must 
live  for  ever,  either  in  heaven  or  in  the  darkness  and  misery  of  the  finally 
impenitent.  And  if  this  future  destiny  of  my  child  hangs,  as  I  believe  it 
does,  very  much  on  me,  how  ought  I  to  tremble  lest  I  fail  of  discharging 
my  duty.  Oh  my  Heavenly  Father,  save  me  from  the  doom  of  an  unfaith- 
ful mother ! 

Again,  some  years  later,  she  says  : 

March  31st  was  a  memorable  day.  God  in  mercy  gave  us  a  daugh- 
ter, whom  we  received  as  from  his  hand,  and  I  hope  we  have  consecrated 
her  to  the  Lord  as  long  as  she  lives.  I  think  I  can  see  the  hand  of  God  in 
all  his  dealings,  and  feel  more  than  ever  an  ardent  desire  to  train  all  our 
children  for  the  Lord. 

After  the  birth  of  her  next  child  she  writes  : 

Another  little  son  was  given  us.  What  a  weight  of  responsibility 
now  rests  upon  me.  Five  children  to  feed,  to  clothe,  to  educate,  and  pray 
for.  Surely  it  is  a  great  work.  May  it  be  the  great  business  of  my  life 
to  train  them  up  for  God.  Had  I  nothing  else  to  do,  this  would  be 
enough. 

How  pleasant  are  the  duties  of  a  mother  when  we  feel  that  we  are 
laboring  for  God.  .  .  .  May  our  little  ones  be  sheltered  under  the  wings 
of  the  Almighty,  preserved  amid  every  temptation,  and  after  having  spent 
their  lives  for  God,  be  received  with  their  dear  parents  to  the  abodes  of 
the  blessed. 

1S4S,  Sept.  Charles  left  for  Amherst  College.  Oh  that  God  will 
throw  around  him  those  arms  which  keep  all  His  children  safe.  For  some 
weeks  he  has  hoped  that  he  has  given  himself  to  God." 

Dec.  We  are  happy  to  learn  from  his  letters  that  he  has  publicly  pro- 
fessed Christ.  He  is  now  about  seventeen  years  old,  and  it  is  our  ardent 
and  united  prayer  that  God  will  by  rich  grace  prepare  this  son  for  the 
ministry.  "  Knowledge  is  power ;"  and  oh  that  all  his  powers  may  be  con- 
secrated to  the  immediate  service  of  God. 

Thus  fervently  prayed  Charles  Payson's  mother  for 
her  son;  and  as  the  years  passed  away,  and  he  became 
more  and  more  conscious  of  his  own  mental  and  moral 
bent,  the  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  grew  in  his  deep- 
est thoughts,  sympathies,  and  desires,  to  be  the  divine 


EARL  J '  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  TION.  1 3 

mission  for  him  among  men.  He  possessed  rare  abili- 
ties for  business,  and  would  hardly  have  failed  to  become 
successful  in  almost  any  secular  calling.  But  a  nature 
so  derived  in  genealogy,  and  a  boyhood  so  saturated  with 
the  stimulating  and  purifying  influences  of  genuine  piety, 
hears  with  quick  perception  the  call  of  the  Master,  "  Go 
ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature." 

Some  reminiscences  of  his  boyhood  are  furnished  by 
a  sister,  who  was  perhaps  as  intimately  associated  with 
him  as  any  playmate  of  his  youth.  In  reply  to  a  letter 
in  which  some  reference  was  made  to  a  proposed  me- 
morial of  his  life,  she  writes  : 

As  a  child  I  remember  our  dear  brother  to  have  been  generous, 
warm-hearted,  and  truthful.  There  was  nothing  of  sullenness  or  obsti- 
nacy in  his  disposition.  Ardent  and  impulsive  in  his  temperament,  his 
faults  were  only  those  which  are  common  to  such  natures,  almost  wholly 
on  the  surface,  and  such  as  parents  and  friends  are  ever  most  ready  to 
forgive  and  forget. 

He  was  a  very  good  child  in  the  main,  but  not  at  all  one  of  the  pious 
little  boys  of  whom  we  sometimes  read,  who  delight  to  sit  with  folded 
hands  and  meditate,  while  their  companions  are  at  play.  He  was  a  genu- 
ine boy,  had  a  ringing  voice  and  hearty  laugh,  was  thoroughly  wide-awake, 
and  as  full  of  enthusiasm  and  energy  in  his  sports,  as  he  was,  in  after- 
years,  when  engaged  in  work  for  his  Master.  A  relative  seeing  him 
threading  his  way,  when  a  lad,  about  the  streets  of  New  York,  at  a  time 
when  he  was  an  entire  stranger  to  the  city,  remarked  that  he  never  saw  a 
boy  like  Charlie  Payson.  Let  him  drop  from  whatever  height  you  chose, 
he  always  came  down  on  his  feet. 

Though  exceedingly  fond  of  play,  he  read  with  avidity  all  sorts  of 
books,  had  a  good  memory  for  what  he  read,  and  was  quick  at  his  lessons. 
His  affectionate  nature  prompted  him  to  be  particularly  fond  of  pets,  and 
there  were  always  several  about  the  house  which  were  his  especial  prop- 
erty. There  were  doves,  and  rabbits,  a  pet  lamb,  the  horse  which  he  took 
pride  in  caring  for,  and  the  little  dog,  which  was  his  loved  companion 
from  childhood  till  he  became  a  man. 

2 


i4  ALL  FOR  CIIRLST. 

His  naturally  fine  tastes  led  him  to  delight  in  flowers,  and  the  house- 
plants  which  frequently  adorned  the  windows  of  the  family  sitting-room 
when  Charles  was  a  youth,  all  belonged  to  him,  and  were  by  him  most 
attentively  cared  for. 

I  recall  one  incident  of  his  boyhood  which  shows  that  he  had,  even 
then,  a  tender  spot  in  his  heart  for  the  poor  and  forlorn,  and,  as  a  child, 
was  like  St.  Paui's  ideal  bishop,  "given  to  hospitality."  All  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  having  left  home  for  the  day,  Charlie,  the  boy  often  or 
eleven  years,  remained  by  himself  in  charge  of  the  house.  About  mid- 
day, two  colored  women,  tired  and  footsore  with  walking  many  a  weary 
mile,  stopped  at  the  door  asking  permission  to  sit  and  rest,  hoping,  doubt- 
less, to  obtain  also  a  morsel  of  food.  But  the  kind-hearted  boy  put  them 
off  with  no  morsel.  Spreading  the  cloth,  he  treated  them  as  though  they 
were  "angels  unawares,"  placing  on  the  table  every  delicacy  the  house 
afforded ;  and  of  this  banquet  the  hungry  travellers  partook  to  their 
hearts'  or  rather  stomachs'  content.  The  mother  of  the  youthful  host 
returning  at  evening  was  much  surprised,  and  probably  equally  annoyed, 
to  see  what  inroads  had  been  made  upon  her  cakes  and  jellies  and  more 
substantial  viands,  by  the  lavish  hospitality  of  her  liberal-hearted  little  son. 

At  sixteen  years  of  age  Charles  had  completed  his 
preparatory  studies  under  the  tuition  of  his  father,  at 
that  time  principal  of  the  academy  at  Ames,  New  York. 
The  ancient  and  established  idea  in  New  England  of  a 
thorough  education  for  the  gospel  ministry,  controlled 
his  father's  plans  for  his  children ;  and  Charles  saw  be- 
fore him  the  plain  and  open  course  of  a  youth  devoted 
to  the  work  of  preaching  the  gospel. 

He  had  not,  however,  up  to  this  time,  made  a  public 
confession  of  faith  in  Christ.  A  Christian  lad  in  spirit 
and  desire  and  aim,  he  still  hesitated  to  take  what  seem- 
ed to  him  a  most  solemn  and  important  step.  His  native 
sincerity  and  conscientiousness  prevented  him  from  any 
sudden  or  ill-advised  entrance  upon  an  avowed  religious 
career. 

In  this  state  of  mind  and  feeling  he  left  his  delightful 


EARL  Y  L IPE  AND  ED  CCA  Tl ON  1 5 

home,  and  entered  Amherst  College  in  1848,  where  he 
was  graduated  with  his  class  in  1852.  A  new  and  inspi- 
ring career  was  now  opening  before  him.  The  duties, 
the  pleasures,  the  responsibilities  of  college-life,  all  be- 
gan to  stimulate  afresh  his  energies  and  awaken  his 
latent  powers.  Thrown  upon  his  own  resources  and 
among  companions  brought  together  from  all  parts  of 
the  land,  his  natural  disposition  to  do  well  whatever  he 
undertook,  was  quickened  into  intense  activity.  One  of 
his  classmates  speaking  of  him  at  that  early  period  says : 
"  On  entering  college  he  seemed  to  feel  that  he  was  en- 
joying great  privileges  which  he  must  greatly  improve." 

How  all  these  new  surroundings  affected  his  thoughts 
and  desires,  becomes  evident  from  his  fidelity  to  duty  as 
a  student.  He  was  always  in  his  place,  and  did  his  work 
with  scrupulous  care  and  tireless  industry. 

A  letter  written  to  his  "  Dear  father,  mother,  all,"  at 
the  beginning  of  his  second  year  at  Amherst,  furnishes 
abundant  testimony  to  the  fact  that  he  made  good  use  of 
all  his  time  and  opportunities.  The  boy  had  already 
grown  to  be  a  man.  And  so  far  from  having  been  divert- 
ed by  these  new  experiences  from  his  religious  desires 
and  aims,  as  sometimes  happens  with  young  men  in 
college,  he  had  evidently  been  developing  in  spiritual 
character. 

In  the  letter  just  referred  to  he  writes  : 

I  was  very  sorry  to  learn  so  grievous  a  report  of  things  at  home.  To 
hear  that  one  and  another  of  those  whom  I  so  well  knew  were  snatched 

away,  and  especially  the  death  of  dear  ,  was   certainly  sufficient  to 

make  any  one  pause  and  think  of  his  own  condition.  The  night  I  received 
your  letter  I  could  not  but  reflect  on  the  one  that  I  spent  with  him  a  short 


1 6  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

time  before  I  left.  I  could  almost  see  the  Angel  of  Death  standing  over 
us,  hesitating  which  of  us  he  should  take.  God  has  seen  fit  that  he  should 
be  taken  and  I  left,  for  what  purpose  He  alone  knows.  Oh,  pray  for  me 
that  I  may  be  kept  in  that  straight  and  narrow  road  that  leads  to  eternal 
life.  It  sometimes  seems  as  though  I  could  willingly  leave  this  world  of 
darkness  and  sorrow  and  soar  away  to  the  mansions  of  bliss.  But  there 
is  one  blessed  consolation,  that  the  more  toils  and  sorrows  we  endure, 
being  faithful  to  the  end,  the  brighter  will  be  our  crown,  and  the  more 
perfect  our  enjoyment  in  the  world  to  come. 

These  are  not  the  words  of  a  dreamy,  sentimental 
young  man,  for  he  was  not  at  all  of  such  a  disposition, 
but  of  one  intensely  earnest  to  do  the  work  of  life,  and 
deeply  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  religion.  And  they 
correspond  strikingly  to  a  remark  made  by  a  classmate 
more  than  twenty-five  years  afterward  in  speaking  of 
impressions  received  from  young  Payson  at  this  early 
stage  of  his  college  course  :  "  There  was  a  certain  sad 
and  subdued  tone  in  his  early  life  in  college,  as  if  some 
deep  sorrow  had  recently  passed  over  him  or  his.  This 
had  entirely  passed  away  before  we  graduated." 

The  following   letters  were  written  by  his  mother 

shortly  after  he  left  for  college : 

Dear  Charlie:  The  adage  "Out  of  sight  out  of  mind,"  I  find  is 
not  true  in  respect  to  you  and  your  mother's  undying  love.  On  the  con- 
trary, your  absence  increases  my  interest  and  affection.  While  I  can 
rejoice  in  the  belief  that  you  are  a  child  of  principle  and  piety,  still,  our 
wicked  hearts  are  so  deceitful  and  you  are  so  constantly  exposed  to  various 
temptations,  I  think  often  and  much  about  you,  lest  you  may  yield  fo  some 
sins  peculiar  to  a  student's  life.  How  many  are  overtaken  by  pride  and 
envy  and  jealousy,  and  various  passions,  and  led  by  these  to  grieve  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Try  and  live  nearer  to  God  by  faith  and  prayer  than  any  of 
your  friends  or  family-circle  ;  "to  our  own  Master  we  stand  or  fall."  .... 
That  you  may  be  humble  and  distinguished  as  a  man  of  prayer  and  genu- 
ine piety,  is  the  most  ardent  prayer  of  your  dear  father  and  mother 

We  shall  be  happy  to  hear  from  you  soon  after  receiving  this.     Give  much 
love  to  Henry,  and  accept  a  large  share  from  every  member  of  the  family. 
From  your  dear  MOTHER. 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  TION.  i 7 

Ames,  June  12,  184CJ. 

Dear  Charlie  :  1  was  much  pleased  that  you  could  take  a  trip  east 
during  your  vacation,  and  hope  you  are  now  enjoying  health,  and  what  is 
more,  the  felt  presence  of  God.  Let  not  your  studies  divert  your  mind 
from  prayer  and  other  religious  duties.  Look  well  into  your  own  heart, 
and  while  you  look  at  sin  in  all  its  odiousness,  at  the  same  moment  flee 
by  faith  to  the  Saviour.  .  .  . 

Whatever  trials  we  meet  in  this  life,  may  we  have  grace  to  look 
away  from  them  all  and  say,  Our  Father — my  own  covenant  God  and 
Father — will  befriend,  and  take  care,  faithful  care  of  me  and  mine.  I 
was  never  able  to  confide  in  God  and  trust  all  with  him  as  I  have  been 
during  the  past  nine  or  ten  months.  For  the  most  part — perhaps  I  ought 
to  say  daily — I  feel  to  cast  all  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  having  the  joy  of  call- 
ing him  mine,  with  unswerving  confidence  that,  while  we  as  parents,  have 
entered  into  an  everlasting  covenant  with  God,  his  promise  stands  secure 
that  he  will  be  a  God  to  us,  and  our  dear  children.  In  all  your  studies 
set  God  before  your  thoughts,  and  have  no  other  motive  but  a  desire  to 
honor  him ;  and  then  you  will  have  a  peace  and  a  joy  language  fails  to 
express. 

We  are  almost  counting  the  days  before  you  return.  May  we  be 
permitted  again  to  meet  and  enjoy  the  unbroken  family  circle,  and  honor 
God  far  more  than  ever  in  our  lives. 

With  very  much  love,  MOTHER. 

Ames,  July  — ,  1849. 
My  Dear  Child:  Feel  not  solitary  and  alone;  trust  your  covenant 
God,  and  he  will  provide  for  all  your  wants  and  lead  you  to  feel  that  his 
watchful  care  will  guide  and  protect  you  till  you  shall  be  enabled  to  say 
like  Jacob,  "The  Lord  is  in  this  place,  dwelling  with  me  in  my  room  and 
by  the  way,  and  J.  knew  it  not."  The  dream  of  Jacob  is  delightful  for  con- 
templation. To  see  God  by  living  faith,  to  feel  that  he  is  about  us,  pro- 
viding for  all  our  wants  and  fitting  us  for  a  mansion  in  heaven,  ought  to 
reconcile  us  to  every  trial  here  below.  May  God  ever  attend  you  by  a 
retinue  of  angels,  ministering  to  you  at  all  times,  and  restraining  you  from 
sin.  May  you  drink  largely  from  the  fountain  of  living  waters  and  be  en- 
abled to  do  much  for  God  during  this  vacation,  and  show  to  all  around  you 
that  you  have  the  spirit  of  Christ. 

Thus  prays  your  affectionate  mother, 

E.  B.  PAYSON. 

During  his  first  college  year  he  had  been  brought  to 
such  a  stage  of  religious  experience  that  he  publicly 


iS  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

avowed  his  saving  faith  in  Christ,  and  united  with  the 
College  church.  Speaking  of  this  in  a  letter  to  his  pa- 
rents he  writes:  "The  next  Sabbath  after  I  received 
your  letter  I  joined  the  church  in  college.  Long  had  I 
hesitated,  doubting  whether  I  was  a  child  of  God  or  no, 
now  hoping  and  believing,  and  again  cast  down  and 
desponding." 

This  statement  of  inner  life  only  discloses  that  con- 
scientiousness which  always  characterized  him,  and  the 
lofty  ideal  of  the  Christian  character  towards  which  he 
continually  looked,  and  which  he  ever  strove  to  realize. 
Others  differently  constituted  would  have  experienced  no 
such  alternations  of  hope  and  fear. 

Continuing  to  speak  of  the  same  matter  he  goes  on 
to  say,  that  he  had  an  interview  with  President  Hitch- 
cock, who  had  encouraged  him  to  make  a  public  confes- 
sion of  his  faith,  and  had  stimulated  his  desire  to  do  so 
by  the  fact  that  those  who  defer  this  duty  after  being 
converted,  are  liable  to  lose  their  interest  in  religion. 
And  furthermore,  the  same  wise  adviser  admonished  him 
that  not  a  few  thus  never  became  avowed  Christians  at 
all.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  by  uniting  with  the  church, 
doubts  and  difficulties  were  sure  to  be  removed. 

"This  with  other  reasons,"  he  proceeds  to  say,  "in- 
duced me  to  join.  And  although  I  have  some  dark  days 
yet,  it  seems  as  though  I  could  say  from  my  heart,  '  The 
Lord  is  my  portion,  what  want  can  I  know  ?' " 

Abundant  and  positive  are  the  testimonies  to  his 
piety  and  manliness,  given  by  those  associated  with  him 
in  his  student  life.     One  classmate  says :  "  He  always 


EARL  i '  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  TION.  1 9 

exhibited  a  decided  Christian  spirit  and  principle,  and 
we  always  knew  where  to  find  him  when  a  moral  point 
was  at  stake.  I  can  recall  no  incident  which  reflected 
aught  against  his  Christian  integrity  during  the  whole 
course  of  college  discipline."  And  this  testimony  of  his 
classmate  is  confirmed  by  the  records  of  the  institution, 
which  declare  that  his  deportment  while  there  was 
perfect. 

These  facts  remind  us  of  the  Scripture,  "  Against  such 
there  is  no  law!'  Discipline  was  not  for  him  who  was 
thoroughly  controlled  in  desire  and  purpose  by  the  word 
of  God.  So  steadily  from  the  outset  did  the  current  of 
his  life  flow  toward  the  kingdom  of  God,  whose  interests 
and  righteousness  he  supremely  loved  and  sought  to 
attain. 

It  would  seem  to  be  no  slight  element  in  making  up 
an  estimate  of  any  man,  that  his  associates  should  bear 
witness  to  such  uniform  Christian  character  and  conduct 
in  the  midst  of  temptations  that  lead  astray  so  many 
young  men,  who,  going  forth  to  the  experiences  of  life 
from  excellent  homes,  fail  to  return  with  unsullied  man- 
hood. 

While,  then,  faithful  in  all  his  duties  as  a  student, 
performing  conscientiously  the  work  assigned  him  by  his 
instructors,  Mr.  Payson  never  forgot  that  he  was  to  ren- 
der himself  useful  as  a  servant  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.  The  cultivation  of  his  intellect  was  only  a  means 
to  an  end.  His  studies  were  to  prepare  him  to  accom- 
plish the  utmost  for  the  good  of  man  and  the  glory  of 
God.     His  knowledge  was  to  be  an  instrument  employed 


20  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

in  saving  others.  Never  did  he  suffer  personal  culture 
to  stand  in  the  way  of  usefulness.  His  was  not  an  ambi- 
tion to  merely  excel  others  in  the  ranks  of  college  honors. 
He  was  too  zealous  a  disciple  of  Christ  to  yield  to  such 
a  temptation.  And  hence,  while  his  standing  as  a  scholar 
was  good,  he  was  better  known  as  one  of  the  active 
Christians  in  his  class. 

A  classmate  writes : 

I  remember  Charles  H.  Payson  in  college  most  for  his  conscientious 
adherence  to  what  he  deemed  to  be  right.  In  the  class  prayer-meetings 
his  prayers  were  very  earnest,  penitential,  tender,  and  evidently  the  out- 
goings of  a  soul  used  to  communion  with  God.  He  was  always  at  the 
meeting  and  always  in  the  spirit  of  it.  So  of  other  religious  exercises. 
The  religious  element  was  highly  developed  in  him.  He  was  one  of  those 
few  among  the  students  who  used  to  go  out  to  teach  in  Sunday-school  and 
hold  prayer-meetings  in  adjoining  towns. 

Another  also  writes  of  him  : 

A  man  of  great  sweetness  of  spirit  and  of  deep  religious  experience  ; 
a  shining  example  of  the  devout,  consistent  Christian. 

And  yet  another  classmate  recollects  him  in  the  fol- 
lowing description  : 

His  literary  productions  always  showed  evidence  of  thought,  and  of 
his  studious  endeavor  to  make  each  performance  better  than  its  prede- 
cessor. This  honesty  of  purpose  was  characteristic  of  all  he  did  and  said, 
and  entered  into  every  exercise,  whether  in  the  recitation  room,  the  Liter- 
ary Society,  or  the  meetings  of  his  class.  And  by  it  he  attained  a  good 
position  among  his  fellows.  .  .  . 

Through  not  possessing  those  positive  characteristics  that  cause 
one  always  to  run  against  the  angles  of  another  and  hasten  to  encounter 
opposition  in  those  who  do  not  agree  with  him,  yet  he  never  stood  in  an 
equivocal  position,  but  on  each  question  which  might  arise  among  his 
fellows  it  was  known  where  he  would  stand  even  before  his  opinion  was 
asked  for.  .  .  .  His  aim  always  was  to  be  right,  and  he  was  sure  to  err  if 
at  all  on  the  right  side. 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  TION.  2 1 

These  testimonies  from  the  best  witnesses,  so  clear 
and  harmonious,  present  a  distinct  outline  of  the  charac- 
ter and  career  of  Mr.  Payson  during  his  life  as  a  student 
at  Amherst.  From  the  intimacies  of  a  close  friendship ( 
enjoyed  by  a  few  personal  friends,  abundant  evidence 
might  be  brought  of  his  unusually  ardent  affection,  his 
peculiarly  warm  sympathy,  and  unselfish  devotion. 
Whatever  he  had,  or  could  do,  was  always  at  the  dis- 
posal of  his  friends.  Self-forgetful,  he  was  abundant  in 
all  kindly  offices  to  others.  Warm-hearted  and  impul- 
sive, he  counted  nothing  too  costly  for  a  sacrifice,  in  the 
interests  of  a  genuine  friendship. 

At  the  same  time,  thrown  much  upon  his  own  re- 
sources for  support,  he  developed  self-reliance,  and  dis- 
played that  thrift,  energy,  and  industry,  which  charac- 
terized him  throughout  life.  The  eldest  of  a  large  family 
of  children,  he  relieved  his  parents  as  far  as  possible 
from  all  care  of  himself ;  and  in  later  years,  when  father 
and  mother  had  gone  to  the  joys  of  heaven,  he  as  elder 
brother  took  their  place  in  affectionate  concern  and  aid 
for  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

And  thus,  during  these  four  important  years  of  stu- 
dent life,  making  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  he  pre- 
pared himself  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  the  Lord  in  the 
Christian  ministry.  After  graduating  with  honors  in 
1852,  he  spent  some  time  in  teaching,  in  order  to  obtain 
means  for  completing  his  studies  in  the  Theological 
Seminary.  Almost  immediately  he  became  principal  of 
the  academy  at  Pompey,  New  York,  and  the  same  quali- 
ties of  character  which  he  had  already  displayed  in  col- 


22  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

lege  were  brought  into  even  fuller  exercise  in  this  new 
and  responsible  position. 

Here  is  the  testimony  of  an  eye-witness  and  of  a 
Christian  man  who  has  himself  since  done  a  noble  work 
in  the  ministry : 

Mr.  Charles  H.  Payson  came  to  Pompey  Academy  fresh  from  col- 
lege, and  full  of  the  enthusiasm  which  always  characterized  him.  He 
could  do  nothing  by  halves.  He  put  new  life  into  the  old  Academy, 
which,  with  the  entire  community,  was  beginning  to  feel  the  drain  of  large 
communities  on  the  great  thoroughfares  of  travel.  He  threw  himself 
earnestly  into  the  work  of  the  church,  and  made  himself  felt  as  a  man  of 
society,  the  Christian  scholar,  and  the  enthusiastic  Christian.  He  and 
his  entire  family  were  nothing  if  they  were  not  Christian. 

I  was  then  entering  my  last  year  of  preparatory  study  with  Amherst 
college  in  view.  It  was  a  happy  thing  to  be  thrown  in  with  one  of  such 
glowing  temperament  and  Christian  life,  the  impression  of  which  has 
never  left  me,  and  I  think  never  will. 

And  I  am  certain  he  will  be  remembered  in  the  long  line  of  worthy 
principals  in  this  honored  school  of  central  New  York,  as  among  the  most 
successful,  and  in  his  ardent  Christian  devotion  perhaps  without  a  peer. 

Persons  of  cooler  temperament  and  age  sometimes  thought  him  a 
little  extravagant  in  statement  and  manner,  and  sometimes  spoke  apolo- 
getically, willing  to  make  allowance  for  inexperience.  But  the  sober  ver- 
dict of  our  time  sets  its  crown  on  religious  enthusiasm  when  it  flames  up 
in  a  sound  mind  well  versed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  takes  side  with  the 
man  who  sets  things  moving,  so  it  be  towards  some  wholesome  end. 
Principal  Payson  stands  approved  in  both  these  respects.  Long  will  he 
be  remembered  in  old  Pompey. 

Having  passed  nearly  two  years  in  teaching,  Mr. 
Payson  devoted  his  time  for  a  few  months  to  the  Insu- 
rance business.  In  this  as  in  every  employment  he  un- 
dertook, his  genial  manners,  tact,  and  energy,  rendered 
him  especially  efficient.  He  was  so  prospered  financially 
during  those  few  months  that  some  of  his  business 
friends  were  led  to  remark  that  if  he  should  devote  him- 
self to  business  rather  than  to  the  ministry,  he  might  in 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  T10N.  2  3 

a  few  years  attain  to  affluence.  And  the  company  with 
which  he  was  engaged  offered  him  a  liberal  salary  if  he 
would  remain. 

But  he  was  not  to  be  diverted  from  his  chosen  work. 
In  the  fall  of  1854  he  entered  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  New  York.  At  last  he  found  himself  directly 
engaged  in  those  special  studies  by  which  he  was  to  be 
prepared  for  his  chosen  work  in  life.  To  this  had  he 
long  been  looking  forward.  And  now  that  the  time  had 
come,  he  seemed  to  gather  up  all  his  energies  to  do  with 
utmost  zeal  and  fidelity  what  these  three  years  of  final 
training  laid  upon  him  in  duty  and  privilege.  If  the 
opportunities  of  college  seemed  to  him  great,  these  were 
even  greater.  Studies  most  congenial,  most  inspiring, 
now  absorbed  his  attention. 

And  yet  here,  as  always,  his  desires  and  aims  were 
of  the  most  practical  sort.  Not  to  be  a  scholar  in  spec- 
ulative theology  or  simply  learned  in  the  lore  of  scien- 
tific religion,  but  to  fit  himself  most  completely  to  be  a 
worker  in  the  pastoral  office,  was  his  solemn  purpose. 
What  he  longed  to  do  was  the  work  of  Christ  in  saving 
mankind.  All  his  knowledge,  all  his  discipline  and  cul- 
ture, was  only  so  much  of  preparation  for  that  final 
object. 

He  could  not  therefore  be  content  with  the  duties  of 
•  the  lecture-room  and  the  labors  of  routine  studies,  but 
sought  all  opportunities  to  make  himself  useful  in  Chris- 
tian work.  A  teacher  by  nature,  he  turned  instinctively 
and  sympathetically  towards  Sunday-school  instruction. 
He  heartily  believed  in  the   theory  of  evangelizing  the 


2i  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

world  through  the  religious  training  of  the  children.  And 
although  while  a  theological  student  he  did  not  discover 
the  Lord's  purpose  concerning  him  in  this  special  work, 
he  was  nevertheless  being  prepared  for  it  by  divine  influ- 
ence and  guidance. 

The  following  communication  from  one  of  the  teach- 
ers in  his  first  Sunday-school  may  serve  to  illustrate  this 
fact : 

Dear  Sir:  Having  learned  that  you  were  about  to  publish  a 
memoir  of  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Payson,  I  have  felt  that  it  would  be  a  privilege  as 
well  as  a  duty  to  send  you  some  account  of  his  first  work  in  this  city, 
believing  that  very  few,  if  any,  of  his  personal  friends  know  how  well  that 
work  was  done  and  how  much  was  accomplished.  I  have  neither  dates 
nor  statistics,  but  only  some  precious  memories,  which  it  will  be  a  pleasure 
for  me  to  recall. 

Not  long  after  his  entering  the  Theological  Seminary  of  this  city, 
he  was  invited,  through  Mr.  Pardee,  to  take  charge  of  a  feeble  Sabbath- 
school  connected  with  the  Bethesda  Baptist  Church,  meeting  then  in 
Chrystie  near  Delancey  street.  It  was  soon  apparent  to  that  little  band  of 
teachers,  that  God,  in  his  providence,  had  sent  them  no  ordinary  man  for 
their  superintendent.  His  singleness  of  purpose,  his  entire  consecration, 
and  his  warm,  loving  sympathy,  won  all  hearts  to  himself.  He  began  his 
work  in  earnest ;  he  visited  from  house  to  house  in  that  locality,  and  soon, 
where  there  had  been  but  a  handful,  there  was  a  roomful  of  attentive, 
interested  scholars. 

As  I  look  back  to  those  days,  I  ask  myself  wherein  was  the  secret  ? 
Why  did  those  scholars  attend  so  regularly  and  become  so  interested  ? 
There  were  no  prizes  offered  nor  entertainments  given,  by  which  to 
attract  them.  No!  These  were  not  necessary.  There  was  a  stronger 
attraction  than  such  things  could  offer.  The  children  were  drawn  by  the 
magnet  of  love.  I  believe  that  the  smallest  child  felt  that  the  superin- 
tendent loved  him,  and  sought  by  all  possible  means  to  do  him  good. 

But  an  earnest  Christian  like  Mr.  Payson  could  not  be  satisfied  with 
merely  a  large  and  interested  school.  He  longed  for  something  more ; 
for  the  salvation  of  the  scholars  he  labored  and  prayed.  Well  do  I  re- 
member one  Saturday  night,  at  our  teachers'  meeting,  how  he  poured  out 
his  soul  in  earnest  desire  that  salvation  might  come  to  the  school. 

The  language  he  used  has  passed  from  my  memory,  but  the  impres- 
sions of  that  evening  will  never  be  effaced.     I  went  from  that  meeting 


EARLY  LIFE  AND  EDUCATION.       .      25 

with  the  assurance  that  there  was  a  special  blessing  in  store  for  our  school ; 
for  God  never  gives  such  earnest  desires  for  the  outpouring  of  his  Spirit 
to  disappoint  us,  but  rather  he  gives  them  because  he  means  to  bless. 

Therefore  it  was  no  surprise  to  me,  the  next  morning,  to  feel  the 
holy  hush  upon  the  school  during  its  opening  exercises.  And  when  du- 
ring the  session  I  glanced  across  the  room  and  saw  a  class  of  young  girls 
with  their  teacher  in  tears,  I  knew  what  it  meant.  The  Holy  Spirit  had 
come; -in  answer  to  prayer,  and  touched  the  hearts  of  those  who  had  hith- 
erto been  indifferent  to  the  claims  of  the  gospel. 

I  need  not  dwell  upon  that  day.  From  that  hour  began  one  of  the 
most  quiet,  yet  sweetest  works  of  grace  I  ever  witnessed.  Not  only  was 
every  member  of  the  class  referred  to  brought  to  Christ,  but  other  schol- 
ars, and  some  of  the  teachers,  came  out  upon  the  Lord's  side.  Some  of 
these  have  passed  on  to  glory,  but  many  still  remain,  and  bear  living  tes- 
timony to  the  genuineness  of  the  profession  then  made. 

It  was  not  enough  for  Mr.  Payson  that  those  under  his  care  should 
be  converted,  but  having  been  the  means  of  leading  them  to  Christ,  he 
sought  to  train  them  for  Christian  usefulness.  For  this  purpose  he  estab- 
lished a  children's  meeting,  where  the  young  converts  were  encouraged 
to  speak  of  their  joys  and  temptations,  and  where,  as  one  who  was  privi- 
leged to  attend  those  meetings  has  said  to  me,  "  he  became  a  young  con- 
vert with  them,  entering  with  ready  sympathy  into  all  their  experiences, 
and  thus  seeking  to  lead  them  to  a  more  and  more  confiding  trust  in  Jesus 
as  their  friend  and  Saviour." 

But  this  sketch  would  be  incomplete  did  I  fail  to  speak  of  Mr.  Pay- 
son's  peculiar  fitness  for  visiting  the  sick  and  the  poor.  In  this  depart- 
ment of  labor  he  was  especially  blessed.  I  recall  his  visits  to  a  widow 
whom  he  found  in  an  upper  room  of  a  tenement-house,  without  relatives, 
and  entirely  dependent  upon  charity.  The  comfort  and  blessing  that  his 
ministrations  were  to  that  sick  woman  cannot  be  told  here,  but  shall  be 
told  there,  where  the  reward  will  be  given  for  the  cup  of  cold  water. 

One  day  while  visiting  for  Sunday-school  scholars,  he  found  in  a 
rear  house  in  Forsyth  street  a  little  lame  boy,  a  confirmed  invalid.  He 
could  not  attend  Sunday-school;  and  one  might  have  supposed  that,  amid 
the  pressure  of  other  duties,  the  lame  boy  might  have  been  passed  by. 
But  no  ;  often  did  Mr.  Payson  find  time  to  cheer  that  humble  home  by 
his  presence.  It  was  not  too  small  a  service  for  him  to  carry  Sunday- 
school  papers  to  lame  Johnny;  and  when  he  went  to  Germany,  he  made 
arrangements  to  ha^e  little  Johnny  visited. 

Another  incident  is  recalled  of  a  little  infant-class  scholar  whom  he 
brought  every  morning  to  Sunday-school.  She  sickened  and  died,  but 
feft  him  the  assurance,  as  he  often  expressed  it,  that  she  would  be  among 
the  first  to  meet  him  in  heaven. 

3 


26  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

These  incidents  may  seem  trivial  to  some,  but  I  refer  to  them  be- 
cause they  illustrate  that  trait  so  prominent  in  Mr.  Payson's  character, 
that  no  service,  where  he  could  speak  a  word  for  the  Master,  or  let  in  a 
single  ray  of  sunshine  into  an  otherwise  darkened  life,  was  in  his  estima- 
tion small.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  joy  and  blessing  which  he 
had  in  his  labors  in  that  school,  had  much  to  do  with  his  decision  to  de- 
vote his  life  to  the  Mission  work.  That  school  long  since  disbanded. 
Scholars  and  teachers  are  scattered,  but  the  work  still  remains.  There 
are  those  who  to-day  can  testify  that  there  was  an  impulse  given  their 
Christian  life  then  that  is  still  felt.  And  thus  began  the  life-work  of  one 
of  whom  we  may  now  say,  "  He  rests  from  his  labors,  and  his  works  do 
follow  him." 

Later  in  his  seminary  course  Mr.  Payson  was  en- 
gaged in  work  in  a  mission  school  connected  with  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Potts'  church-.  A  gentleman  associated  with 
him  at  that  time  speaks  of  this  work  as  follows : 

If  I  remember  aright  he  came  to  us  in  the  fall  of  1856.  The  mis- 
sion school  was  then  located  in  the  Thirteenth  street  public  school  build- 
ing, near  Sixth  avenue.  It  was  very  small  in  numbers  and  but  feebly  sus- 
tained. A  number  of  the  young  people  of  the  church  came  to  the  rescue, 
and  having  districted  the  neighborhood,  thoroughly  canvassed  it  for  schol- 
ars, who  soon  began  to  pour  in  from  all  directions,  and  Mr.  Payson's  ser- 
vices were  then  secured  while  he  was  still  a  student  at  Union  Theological 
Seminary.  He  was  full  of  zeal  and  enthusiasm,  and  entered  with  all  his 
heart  into  the  work,  endearing  himself  to  all  around  him,  and  making 
many  warm  friends.  He  interested  himself  very  greatly  in  the  half-grown 
boys  in  the  neighborhood,  and  organized  a  boys'  meeting  for  debating  and 
mutual  improvement.  .  .  .  He  had  great  influence  over  this  class  of  boys, 
and  attracted  them  to  him  by  his  kind  and  cordial  manner  and  his  sin- 
cere interest  in  their  welfare. 

On  the  completion  of  his  studies  at  the  seminary  he  severed  for  a 
time  his  connection  with  our  school  and  sailed  for  Germany. . . .  His  pur- 
pose was  to  perfect  himself  in  the  German  language,  with  a  view  lo  labor 
ing  among  the  German  population  of  our  city 

On  his  return  from  Europe,  in  September,  1858,  he  found  us  in  our 
new  building  on  Sixth  avenue,  near  Tenth  street,  and  very  soon  after  was 
engaged  as  a  missionary  and  superintendent  of  the  school.  Having  lost 
none  of  his  zeal  or  enthusiasm  during  his  long  absence,  he  now  went  to 
work  in  deep  earnest,  devoting  his  whole  time  to  the  interests  of  the  mis- 
sion, and  soon  gathering  around  him  a  good  congregation,   composed 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  TIOAT.  2  7 

chiefly  of  the  parents  of  the  scholars.  He  held  a  Sabbath  evening  ser- 
vice and  a  weekly  prayer-meeting,  and  for  a  time  a  daily  union  prayer- 
meeting  which  was  largely  attended.  How  often  I  have  gone  with  him 
to  the  dingy  garret  or  the  dark  cellar-home  of  some  wretched  family,  seek- 
ing for  scholars  or  bringing  comfort  and  aid  to  them  in  their  misery.  His 
warm  and  sympathizing  heart  was  always  open  to  their  sorrows,  and  he 
was  constantly  devising  plans  for  their  relief  and  comfort.  For  years 
after  he  left  us  many  of  these  people  would  find  delight  in  talking  to  mi. 
of  the  dear  Mr.  Payson  who  used  to  visit  them  and  do  them  so  much 
good.  I  have  many  letters  from  the  older  scholars,  written  at  that  time, 
in  which  they  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  affectionate  regard,  and  of  his  en- 
thusiasm and  aid  in  their  hours  of  darkness  and  doubt. 

Another  feature  of  his  work  was  the  establishment  of  several  meet- 
ings for  prayer  in  the  homes  of  the  people.  These  he  styled  "Neighbor- 
hood Prayer-meetings."  They  were  very  successful  and  largely  attended. 
Mr.  Payson  took  great  interest  in  them,  and  gathered  around  him  a  large 
number  of  helpers,  who  would  distribute  themselves  each  week  among 
these  several  meetings,  Mr.  Payson  always  attending  one  or  another  of 
them.  This  plan  of  holding  prayer-meetings  in  the  homes  of  the  people 
has  been  adopted  in  many  other  missions,  but  I  think  the  idea  originated 
with  him.  They  were  kept  up  for  several  years  after  he  left  us,  and  re- 
sulted in  much  good. 

In  recalling  these  facts  I  have  been  carried  back  to  those  days  of 
pleasant  intercourse  with  Mr.  Payson  and  work  together  for  the  Master. 
He  had  a  noble  corps  of  helpers  around  him,  men  and  women  of  devoted 
piety  and  earnest  zeal,  some  of  them  afterwards  devoting  their  lives  to  the 
ministry  or  to  the  work  of  foreign  missions.  Some,  no  doubt,  have  al- 
ready greeted  him  on  that  distant  shore,  where  I  trust  we  shall  all  reas- 
semble some  day 

I  met  Mr.  Payson  on  last  Christmas  day,  and  enjoyed  a  most  de- 
lightful talk  with  him  about  old  times.    It  seemed  to  give  him  much  pleas- 
ure to  hear  about  the  old  scholars  and  of  what  had  become  of  them. 
Very  truly  yours?  E.  McJ. 

An  article  from  Mr.  Pay  son's  own  pen,  recently  pub- 
lished in  the  "  American  Messenger,"  describes  a  scene 
which  occurred  at  this  very  time. 

One  Saturday  afternoon  I  was  seeking  scholars  for  my  Sabbath  - 
school  in  the  city  of  New  York.  My  search  had  been  comparatively  with- 
out success.  I  was  wearisomely  climbing  the  narrow  staircases  of  a  dirty 
tenement-house,  when  at  last  I  came  to  a  door  on  the  upper  story.     A 


2S  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

cheerful  "  Come  in "  greeted  my  rather  hopeless  knock.  I  opened  the 
door,  and  knew  I  was  entering  a  Christian  home.  There  is  a  wonder- 
ful difference  between  that  labored  cleanliness  which  says,  "  Take  care ; 
no  strangers  wanted  here,"  and  the  comfortable  neatness  of  Christian 
hospitality  which  says,  "  Come  in  and  rest."  It  was  not  the  flowers  in 
the  windows,  nor  the  simple  pictures  on  the  wall,  nor  the  neat  rag-carpet, 
nor  the  white  coverlet  of  the  bed  which  filled  the  alcove  opening  out  of 
the  little  sittingroom,  which  gave  me  this  idea,  but  the  kindly  look  which 
shone  out  from  the  face  of  that  cheerful-looking  old  woman  beautifying 
all  her  surroundings.  I  felt  at  home  at  once,  and  often  repeated  the  visit 
which  gave  me  ever  some  new  lesson  in  Christian  life  and  experience. 

Little  by  little  I  learned  her  past  history.  Once  she  had  lived  in 
easy  circumstances,  and  rejoicing  in  the  love  of  her  husband  and  five  chil- 
dren. One  by  one  they  died.  One  by  one  creature  comforts  had  to  be 
given  up,  till  at  last,  broken  down  by  incurable  disease,  and  forsaken  by 
all  who  naturally  should  have  cared  for  her,  she  became  utterly  dependent. 
In  this  hour  of  trial  she  was  enabled  to  look  to  God  alone  and  ask  of  him 
the  aid  she  could  find  nowhere  else.  Her  disease  prevented  her  leaving 
her  little  room  to  supply  any  need,  however  imperative.  Only  when  her 
house  was  burned,  if  my  memory  serves  me,  did  she  leave  her  room  for 
thirty-eight  long  years.  And  yet  all  this  time  she  lived  alone.  For  rent, 
clothing,  fuel,  food,  and  medicine,  she  had  no  one  but  God  to  depend 
upon.  And  to  him  she  went,  with  all  the  trusting  simplicity  of  a  child  to 
a  parent,  and  was  never  disappointed. 

I  well  remember  one  occasion  when  my  own  faith  was  greatly  tried 
in  her  behalf.  For  some  two  years  it  was  my  privilege  to  pay  her  rent 
from  the  funds  of  the  church  with  which  I  was  then  connected.  Unex- 
pectedly one  Saturday  afternoon,  instead  of  the  money,  I  was  obliged  to 
inform  her  that  the  allowance  had  been  cut  off.  I  knew  that  Monday  the 
rent  came  due,  and  being  unable  myself  to  meet  the  necessity,  was  full  of 
trouble  in  her  behalf.  I  expected,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  see  my  trou- 
ble reflected  in  the  face  usually  so  full  of  peace  and  comfort.  Imagine 
my  amazement  when,  with  a  cheerful  smile,  she  said,  "  No  matter ;  it  is  all 
right ;"  and  changing  the  subject,  went  on  as  if  this  matter  was  not  of  the 
least  consequence  to  herself.  But  I  could  not  rest,  knowing  as  I  did  that 
she  had  nothing  in  hand  to  meet  this  claim.  So  I  brought  it  up  again, 
and  asked  her  how  she  could  be  so  composed  with  this  new  and  unex- 
pected trouble  resting  upon  her.  What  should  we  do?  Then  came  her 
never-to-be-forgotten  answer :  "  Do  you  suppose  that  the  good  Father, 
who  took  care  of  me  for  eighteen  years  before  this  help  ever  came,  is  go- 
ing to  leave  me  now  ?  Don't  trouble  yourself  one  moment  about  it,  for  I 
know  my  rent  will  be  forthcoming  just  as  soon  as  I  really  need  it."  So  it 
proved,  and  her  unwavering  faith  was  triumphantly  vindicated  then,  and 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  EDUCATION.  29 

thousands  of  times  besides,  before  God  called  her  to  himself.  By  death 
or  removal  one  set  of  Christian  helpers  after  another  passed  away ;  but 
God  was  the  same  unchanging  Friend  all  the  way  through.  On  him  she 
leaned  in  prayerful  trust  ever,  and  he  never  failed  her. 

Hundreds  have  enjoyed  the  little  meetings  held  in  her  room  every 
Sunday  afternoon,  and  often  on  weekday  evenings  besides.  Many  an  un- 
converted soul  has  there  found  Christ,  but  more  feeble  Christians  have 
been  so  strengthened  through  that  poor  woman's  faith,  that  her  memory 
will  be  precious  to  them  for  ever. 

About  a  year  after  he  entered  the  seminary  he  writes 
to  one  of  his  sisters  as  follows  : 

My  Dear  Sister  :  I  wrote  you  last  just  before  I  left  Cleveland.  I 
have  had  some  very  bad  news  since  I  returned.  My  dear  chum  Benjamin 
was  very  ill  with  the  typhus-fever  when  I  came  to  New  York,  and  yester- 
day, as  we  hear,  the  dear,  good  fellow  breathed  his  last.  It  sometimes 
seems  strange  that  God  should  remove  one  so  talented,  so  nearly  ready 
to  stand  up  and  speak  in  his  holy  name.  I  have  often  wondered  the  last 
two  days  why  it  was  that  the  angel  of  death,  as  he  looked  into  our  room 
last  winter,  chose  Benjamin  and  left  me.  How  truly  Young  says,  "Death 
loves  a  shining  mark."  May  I  not  hope  that  our  Father  has  some  good 
work  for  me,  since  thus  he  spares  me  ?      I  found  my  room  occupied  by  a 

Mr.  J of  the  Junior  class  on  my  arrival  here.      I  think  we  shall  get 

along  very  pleasantly,  as  he  is  a  pleasant,  agreeable  fellow.  We  have 
things  nearly  righted  now ;  have  purchased  a  very  pretty  carpet. 

My  happiest  day  was  when  I  visited  the  Sabhath-school  again.  All 
the  scholars  acted  as  though  they  were  beside  themselves.  The  boys 
stamped,  and  all  over  the  room  it  was,  "  Mr.  Payson  has  come,  Mr.  Payson 
has  come !"  And  such  bright,  hearty,  welcome  smiles !  Oh,  they  brought 
a  very  balm  to  my  troubled,  weary  heart !  I  went  into  the  room  where 
the  infant  class  were  assembled.  We  sang  two  or  three  old  pieces,  or 
rather  tried  to.  .  .  .  The  little  ones  stared  at  me  as  though  they  could  n't 
see  enough.  One  of  the  sweetest  of  the  little  band  came  at  last  and  gave 
me  her  fan,  a  tiny  little  baby  fan,  and  then  went  back  and  wondered  what 
more  she  could  do.  After  five  minutes'  deliberation  she  came  again,  and 
put  up  the  very  prettiest  little  mouth  for  me  to  kiss.  As  a  climax,  little 
Allie  said,  "  Mr.  Payson,  we  've  had  a  little  sister  at  our  house  since  you 
went  away."  Ah,  such  prattling  innocence  !  Would  this  world  held  more 
of  it. 

The  death  of  his  father  in  February,  1856,  to  which 
some  expressions  in  the  last  letter  are  attributable,  threw 


3o  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

a  great  weight  of  responsibility  upon  him,  not  only  in  the 
administration  of  the  estate,  but  in  the  care  of  his  wid- 
owed mother  and  younger  brothers  and  sisters.  Refer- 
ring to  some  of  these  things,  he  writes,  partly  upon  the 
half  sheets  accompanying  the  examination  papers  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  : 

My  Dear  Sister  :  You  know  not  what  a  source  of  pleasure  it  is  at 
last  to  grasp  my  pen  and  wing  a  few  words  of  love  to  my  "  pet  sis."  I  feel 
I  fairly  deserve  to  be  disowned  ;  but  if  you  will  give  me  another  try,  I  will 
promise  to  write  you  within  three  days  of  the  receipt  of  each  letter  from 
you.  Just  look  over  the  other  side  and  see  what  one  week  furnished 
me  in  the  way  of  work.  And  that  was  but  a  tithe  ;  for  who  shall  enumer- 
ate the  cares  that  appertain  to  me  as  to  sisters  and  brothers,  Sabbath- 
schools  and  day-schools,  lessons  and  teachers,  debts  and  credits,  and  above 
all,  the  care  of  souls  in  my  Sunday-school. 

Yesterday  my  last  great  burden  was  removed.  I  received  a  check 
for  the  money  due  us  from  the  insurance  company.  .  .  .  Without  it  I  can 
hardly  imagine  how  we  could  have  gone  along  at  all.  .  .  .  We  shall  go 
home  the  first  part  of  July,  I  suppose.  You  must  make  your  calculations 
to  go  home  at  the  same  time.  I  will  write  you  more  definitely  before  we 
leave. 

And  now,  my  dear  sister,  how  is  it  with  you  ?  Are  you  fighting  the 
good  fight  ?  Does  heaven  seem  brighter  ?  Does  Christ  grow  precious  ? 
At  times  I  want  to  go ;  but  then,  oh  how  I  want  to  labor  for  souls — to  do 
something  for  him.  Love  Christ,  so  that  you  will  LIVE  him,  and  your 
example  will  be  a  sermon  that  no  adversary  can  gainsay  or  resist.  Pray 
for  me,  and  do  write  me  soon.  I  am  longing  for  a  sight  of  my  dear  "  little 
sis."     May  God  give  me  the  sweet  privilege  soon. 

Your  ever-loving  CHARLIE. 

While  he  was  in  the  seminary  Mr.  Payson  became 
deeply  interested  in  Home  Missions.  Gradually  there 
was  formed  in  his  mind  the  purpose  to  devote  himself  to 
missionary  work  on  the  frontiers  of  the  great  West  of 
our  country.  The  moral  destitution  of  large  regions, 
sparsely  populated  by  families  that  had  gone  thither  from 
Eastern  states,  awakened  his  sympathy  and  roused  his 


EARL  Y  LIFE  AND  ED  UCA  TION.  3 1 

zeal.  With  a  holy  enthusiasm  he  anticipated  a  life  devo- 
ted to  his  countrymen  in  new  communities,  where  the 
institutions  of  society  and  religion  were  to  be  founded 
and  built  up.  Like  Paul,  he  preferred  not  to  build  on 
another  man's  foundations. 

With  these  desires  and  expectations  Mr.  Payson  pros- 
ecuted his  theological  studies.  A  spirit  so  earnest  and 
aims  so  practical  would  not  permit  him  to  lose  his  reli- 
gious fervor  in  the  colder  atmosphere  of  mere  scientific 
dogmatism.  The  grand  and  stimulating  topics  of  study 
that  make  up  the  curriculum  of  a  theological  student,  did 
not  abate  his  devotion  nor  steal  from  him  the  spirit  and 
power  of  fervent  prayer. 

The  devotional  exercises  of  the  class  and  the  semi- 
nary found  in  him  a  faithful  and  zealous  supporter. 
Always  ardent  in  his  desire  for  scholarship  and  to  excel 
in  every  exercise,  he  still  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  spir- 
itual warmth,  that  kept  him  in  fullest  sympathy  with  all 
earnest  and  active  Christians. 

In  the  spring  of  1857  Mr.  Payson  was  graduated  with 
his  class,  holding  a  high  position  in  their  confidence  and 
esteem.  To  those  more  particularly  intimate  with  him, 
it  was  evident  that  he  possessed  qualifications  and  abili- 
ties for  great  usefulness. 

But  he  sought,  in  accordance  with  all  his  controlling 
ideas,  to  avail  himself  of  every  opportunity  to  enlarge  his 
acquaintance  with  mankind  ;  and,  consequently,  having 
formed  with  one  of  his  classmates  a  plan  of  study  and 
travel  in  Europe,  he  sailed  from  New  York  a  few  days 
after  leaving  the  seminary. 


32  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

To  an  ardent  and  energetic  nature  like  his,  such  an 
opportunity  became  extremely  stimulating  ;  and  he  de- 
clared many  a  time  afterward  that  the  months  thus  devo- 
ted had  been  among  the  most  delightful  and  profitable  of 
his  whole  student  life.  Whether  among  the  old  cities  of 
Europe,  with  their  marvels  of  art  and  wealth  and  historic 
interest,  or  in  the  midst  of  the  glories  of  Alpine  summits 
or  the  charms  of  southern  landscapes,  he  found  ever 
something  that  could  be  appropriated  to  the  fund  from 
which  to  draw  for  future  usefulness.  After  spending  the 
summer  at  Heidelberg,  he  was  matriculated  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Berlin  in  the  autumn,  and  devoted  himself  to 
the  lectures  of  Professors  Twesten  and  Nitsch,  men  emi- 
nent for  learning  and  piety. 

Thus  passed  the  year  of  university  life,  in  the  midst 
of  scenes  and  associations  novel  and  interesting,  espe- 
cially to  a  young  man  from  the  New  World. 

The  following  season  was  devoted  to  travel  through 
Germany,  Austria,  Italy,  Switzerland,  and  France.  The 
results  of  that  visit  upon  the  character  and  mental  resour- 
ces of  the  faithful  pastor  in  New  York  for  many  years 
afterward  were  of  no  little  consequence.  They  rendered 
him  more  cosmopolitan  in  his  ideas  and  sympathies,  fur- 
nished him  inexhaustible  stores  of  illustration  in  inter- 
preting the  truths  of  the  gospel,  and  added  moral  weight 
to  his  opinions  and  utterances.  And  through  all  his 
after  life  he  found  in  these  pleasant  memories  a  rest  and 
refreshment  for  which  he  was  ever  grateful. 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  33 

CHAPTER    II. 

LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD. 

Most  of  the  letters  contained  in  this  chapter  are  of 
a  general  nature,  and  sufficiently  explain  themselves. 
Some  of  them  are  descriptive,  and  some,  in  part  at 
least,  are  personal ;  but  all  will  be  found  interesting  in 
so  far  as  they  serve  to  throw  light  on  Mr.  Payson's  char- 
acter. The  letters  descriptive  of  foreign  travel  might 
have  been  multiplied,  but  the  limits  of  this  little  book 
forbid. 

Of  the  first  two,  the  gentleman  who  furnished  the 
account  of  Mr.  Payson's  work  in  Sixth  avenue  writes  as 
follows : 

I  have  greatly  valued  these  two  letters,  and  now  enclose  them  for 
your  perusal.  You  are  at  liberty  to  make  such  use  of  them  as  may  be 
desirable.  They  are  strongly  characteristic  of  him  at  that  time,  showing 
his  deep  and  earnest  piety,  his  warm  friendship,  and  his  love  for  souls. 
I  have  always  felt  deeply  indebted  to  him  for  those  timely  counsels,  and 
would  be  glad  if  their  reproduction  would  aid  in  lighting  the  pathway  of 
some  others  as  they  did  mine. 

The  letters  referred  to  are  given  herewith,  and  to  the 
second  of  them,  it  may  be  remarked,  this  little  volume  is 
indebted  for  its  title. 

Heidelberg,  Aug.  17,  1857. 

My  Dear  Friend:  In  Charley  L 's  last  letter  he  was  speaking 

of  his  pleasant  visits  to  your  dear  home.  This,  of  course,  carried  me  back 
to  my  own  unexpected  and  therefore  all  the  more  delightful  acquaintance 
with  you  and  yours  at  "  Home,"  and  the  promise  I  made  to  write  you 
from  the  "Fatherland."  Where  can  I  so  well  fulfil  that  promise  as  here 
in  beautiful  Heidelberg?    Here,  if  anywhere,  old  associations  will  revive, 


34  ALL  FOR  CLIRLST. 

and  in  its  quiet  valleys,  its  retired  and  shady  paths,  must  come  up  visions 
of  the  far-off  home  and  the  friends  left  behind.  How  pleasant  among 
such  thoughts  are  the  recollections  of  our  much-loved  Sabbath-school,  and 
the  happy  hours  we  spent  together  !  How  strangely  true  that  those  labors 
which  cost  us  most  of  toil  and  sacrifice  are  those  to  which  we  can  look 
back  with  the  greatest  pleasure.  The  cost  was  paid  in  weariness,  but  the 
memory  of  them  is  the  fragrance  of  heaven,  cheering  us  in  the  hours  of 
weakness  ;  yes,  and  they  shall  tune  our  harps,  I  trust,  to  a  nobler  song  of 
thanksgiving  in  a  better  world. 

I  am  sure,  my  dear  friend,  that  you  as  well  as  I  look  forward  to  that  land 
with  the  highest  anticipations.  How  often  have  I  thought  you  were  even 
as  the  "  young  ruler,"  almost  in  the  kingdom.  I  know  that  nothing  could 
induce  you  to  give  up  the  hope  of  heaven,  and  trust  that  ere  this  you  huve 
decided  the  great  point,  and  resolved  to  be  Christ's,  and  his  alone,  both 
in  this  world  and  that  to  come.  How  often  did  the  words  quiver  on  my 
lips.  How  often  would  I  have  entreated  you  to  accept  the  Best  of  Friends, 
one  whom  I  had  proved  and  never  found  wanting ;  but,  coward  that  I  was, 

I  feared  it  might  be  an  unpleasant  subject.     Forgive  me,  my  dear  E , 

that  I  loved  you  so  little,  and  remember  that  no  news  would  so  cheer  my 
heart  as  to  learn  from  you  that  the  great  question  was  settled,  and  you 
were  happy.  I  used  to  think  I  was  happy ;  but  I  assure  you  that  one 
hour  with  my  Redeemer,  one  hour  of  calm  communion  and  unwavering 
faith,  is  better  than  any  pleasure  earth  ever  gave  me.  Think  not,  my 
dear  friend,  that  with  religion  you  sacrifice  happiness.     Look  at  our  dear 

Mrs.  E ;  yes,  go  and  ask  her  when  she  was  happier — in  the  days  long 

gone  by,  when  earth  seemed  to  heap  its  every  blessing  upon  her ;  or  now, 
when  stripped  of  almost  all,  with  health  impaired,  she  loves  the  religion 
she  once  only  professed.  And  her  experience  is  that  of  the  world.  The 
pleasures  that  earth  gives  are  far  more  in  the  anticipation  than  the  reality; 
and  then  the  bitter  days  that  ever  remain  and  mar  the  recollections  of 
even  our  happiest  hours !  But  I  will  not  weary  you  with  thoughts  that 
you  have  heard  from  your  cradle.  You  know  what  joy  you  can  have — the 
prize  is  before  you.  Oh  come,  and  bring  happiness  to  your  friends ;  yea, 
even  to  that  angel  sister  who  has  gone  a  little  before.     I  wish  you  would 

write  and  tell  me  (why  should  you  not,  E ?)  that  you  have  ceased  the 

unequal  conflict,  and  are  Christ's  for  ever. .  .  .     Give  my  best  regards  to 

all  your  family,  especially  your  brother  F ,  and  remember  that  so  far 

away  one  heart  beats  warm  for  you  with  good  wishes  and  earnest  prayers. 
As  to  myself,  my  health  is  excellent ;  my  happiness  is  more  than  pen  and 
paper  can  express.  The  hours  and  moments  are  filled  to  overflow  with 
new  sights  and  joys.  Yet  amid  all  I  long  to  be  at  home  and  work  again. 
Remember  me,  though  we  meet  not  as  of  old,  and  make  happy 

Your  friend,  C.  H.  PAYSON. 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  35 

Rome,  April,  1S58. 

My  Dear,  Dear  E :  Words  cannot  express  the  emotions  that 

thrilled  my  heart  as  I  read  your  precious,  precious  letter.  It  was  only  this 
morning  that  I  was  encouraging  myself  to  still  wait  and  pray  for  you  by 
those  words  of  Jesus  in  Matt.  21  :  21,  22,  especially  the  last  verse  :  "And 
all  things  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believing,  ye  shall  receive." 
God  be  thanked  that  you  are  at  last  safe ;  yes,  safe,  for  if  you  have  truly 
given  yourself  up,  Satan  himself  can  never  draw  you  away.  Does  it  not 
now  seem  strange  that  you  waited  so  long,  and  strove  so  hard  to  do  what 
was  so  very  easy  in  the  end  ?  Ah,  if  men  were  not  so  proud,  the  way  to 
heaven  would  not  be  so  strait.  But  we  insist  on  doing  all  ourselves,  and 
thus  are  never  nearer  the  end  desired — nearer,  did  I  say  ?  rather,  every 
day  farther  and  farther  away  from  that  meek,  humble,  childlike  faith  that 
Jesus  so  much  loved. 

And  now,  my  friend,  life  is  before  you  with  new  ends  and  aims.  The 
question,  I  see,  is,  "  How  shall  I  spend  it  ?"  I  can  tell  you  in  a  few  words, 
only  three  :  All  for  Christ.  It  is  a  delightful  thought  to  me,  and  one 
that  I  presume  you  have  heard  me  express,  that  here  in  this  world,  where 
I  have  to  an  extent  control  of  myself,  and  can  seek  what  I  will,  I  can  honor 
Christ  more  than  in  heaven.  There  I  shall  desire  only  to  praise  him;  but 
here,  where  fame,  riches,  and  honors  entice,  where  we  are  surrounded  by 
a  great  cloud  of  witnesses,  angels,  men,  and  devils — honor  and  glory  be  to 
God,  who  hath  promised  us  the  victory  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  You 
ask  me  for  advice.  My  dear  E ,  I  hope  I  have  been  a  Christian  sev- 
eral years,  and  as  the  result  of  my  experience,  learned  by  many  a  sore 
trial,  I  can  only  say,  Live  for  Christ.  Don't  do  as  I  did  at  first,  seek  for 
praise  and  happiness,  and  put  Jesus  in  the  background ;  but  make  his 
glory  and  the  advancement  of  his  cause  the  end.  Yes,  if  you  seek  riches, 
seek  them  for  him ;  if  you  travel,  do  it  to  his  honor ;  if  you  become  learn- 
ed, let  it  be  that  you  may  serve  him  more ;  thus  keep  your  eye  always 
fixed  on  him,  and  then  pass  all  these  side  issues,  these  things  of  earth, 
between  you  and  him.  If  they  hide  him  from  you,  put  away  the  accursed 
thing.  If  not,  use  them  to  his  glory,  and  be  ever  in  the  light  of  his  coun- 
tenance.   Oh  the  heaven  on  earth  a  man  may  live  if  Jesus  is  all  and  in  all ! 

I  wonder  if  you  feel  as  weak  and  feeble  as  I  did  when  I  hoped  I  be- 
came a  Christian.  It  was  as  though  I  was  a  child  just  beginning  to  walk. 
.  When  alone,  my  feet  would  totter  beneath  me,  my  prayers  were  so  feeble. 
But  when  with  older  Christians,  at  the  prayer-meeting  or  at  church,  it  was 
as  though  a  stronger  arm  sustained  me,  and  I  could  walk  when  I  leaned 
on  those  that  loved  and  sympathized  with  me.  What  a  strange  thing  this 
fellowship  of  Christian  hearts  is.  I  feel  it  as  I  write  you  to-night.  I  loved 
you  when  I  wrote  you  before,  and  talked  with  great  freedom,  yet  I  must 
confess  not  without  fear  that  you  might  take  offence  at  my  freedom.     But 


36  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

now  how  changed!  That  "perfect  love  which  casteth  out  all  fear"  has 
bound  us  together  by  new  ties,  even  those  that  eternity,  I  trust,  cannot 
sever.  Let  me  mention  an  exercise  in  which  I  have  found  peculiar  delight, 
and  which  I  hope  you  too  may  find  profitable.  It  is  this:  beginning  with 
Genesis,  trace  out  the  account  of  every  prayer,  and  the  answer  ;  consider 
the  circumstances  under  which  these  prayers  were  made,  the  great  variety 
of  blessings  desired,  and  the  readiness  with  which  God  responded.  I  am 
sure  it  will  encourage  you  to  pray  as  never  before,  and  convince  you  that 
"  our  Father  "  thinks  of  us,  and  loves  us  in  all  our  cares  and  sorrows,  how- 
ever insignificant  they  may  seem  to  us.  Clouds,  so  dark  and  black  as  to 
hide  heaven  itself,  will  yet  overshadow  your  path.  Let  me  entreat  you, 
then,  to  pray.  Never,  no  never,  turn  from  your  Saviour,  and  you  will 
always  find  that  the  darkest  cloud  is  only  a  veil  that,  being  removed,  shall 
reveal  glories  never  before  imagined. 

You  ask  me  if  I  like  Europe.  Yes,  I  do ;  but  I  love  America,  free, 
happy  America,  far  better;  and  I  long  to  be  at  home  and  at  work.  Since 
I  heard  the  glorious  news  from  America,  I  must  say  I  have  been  home- 
sick, and  I  almost  envy  you  who  are  in  the  midst  of  God's  wondrous  work- 
ings. My  whole  heart  is  with  you,  and  though  surrounded  by  all  the 
pomp  and  display  of  Holy  Week,  and  treading  the  dust  of  ancient  Rome, 
I  would  that  it  were  right  for  me  to  leave  to-morrow  for  home  and  the 
work  I  so  long  to  be  engaged  in.  But  duty  bids  me  stay,  and  till  the  first 
of  September  I  must  still  be  a  wanderer.  I  do  hope  that  you  and  all  my 
dear  friends  will  remember  me  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  entreat  God  to 
fit  me  for  that  great  work  which  I  so  much  fear,  yet  so  earnestly  desire  to 

enter  upon.    I  trust  that  when  you  write  me  again  I  shall  hear  that  F 

too  is  following  in  your  steps.  I  have  great  hopes  for  him,  and  can  but 
believe  that  he  too  shall  find  the  path  to  eternal  life.  Remember  me  to 
him  most  affectionately,  as  well  as  to  your  family.  I  often  remember  with 
pleasure  my  visit  to  your  island  home.  Write  me  at  Paris,  (poste  restante,) 
as  I  am  now  moving  about.  My  paper  is  only  too  small.  I  wish  to  write 
a  hundred  things,  but  must  stop.     Good- by. 

Your  friend,  C.  H.  PAYSON. 

Heidelberg,  Aug.  29,  1857. 

Dear  Ones  at  Home  :  .  .  .  Need  I  tell  you  how  grateful  I  am  to 
"our  Father"  that  he  has  so  kindly  watched  over  and  guided  everything 
to  such  prosperous  results  ?  It  is  perfectly  astonishing  that  I  ever  doubt 
when  I  see  how  constantly  he  is  providing  for  us  all.  Each  day  I  find 
occasion  to  reproach  myself  for  want  of  faith  towards  my  best  Friend. 

And  so  E is  off  for  college.  .  .  .     My  dear  brother,  accept  the 

advice  which  was  given  me  as  I  entered  Amherst  :  "  Take  care  first  of  your 
soul,  then  of  your  health,  and  lastly  of  your  studies."     Make  your  motto, 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  37 

"Not  what  I  am,  but  what  I  am  to  be  in  Christ."  Aim  high,  so  shall 
your  arrow  higher  reach.  Heaven  is  higher  than  earth.  My  brother,  set 
the  mark  there.  ...  In  my  last,  I  believe,  I  had  not  reached  Heidelberg, 
and  now  I  am  about  to  leave  it.  Never  did  a  spot  become  so  dear  in  so 
short  a  time.  Let  me  describe  it,  and  you  will  not  wonder  that  I  love  it. 
You  approach  it  from  Mauheim  and  the  Rhine  across  a  perfectly  level 
plain  some  twelve  miles  wide.  Suddenly  from  that  perfect  level  spring  up 
two  towering  peaks,  (at  least  for  this  country,)  the  Heilenberg  and  Geis- 
berg,  covered  to  their  very  summit  with  foliage  of  the  richest  green.  Here 
are  beautiful  vineyards  loaded  with  their  luscious  burdens.  Between  these 
peaks,  on  the  banks  of  the  classic  Neckar,  sits  Heidelberg,  the  queen  of 
the  Rhineland.  Around  her  the  guardian  Odenwald  clasps  his  leafy  arms, 
as  if  to  guard  her  from  all  harm,  and  shut  her  out  from  the  common  herd. 
One  long  street  stretches  up  the  valley  side  by  side  with  the  petulant 
stream  along  which  noble  men  have  walked.  In  its  university,  venerable 
in  history,  Melancthon  and  Bucer  studied.  Luther  slept  here  on  his  jour- 
ney to  that  conflict  at  Worms  which  he  made  immortal. 

Behind  it,  on  the  Jettenbuhl,  stands  the  castle,  its  glory  and  pride. 
On  this  was  lavished  the  wealth  of  princes  for  six  centuries.  Stern  war, 
and  more  cruel  time,  yes.  and  the  thunderbolts  of  heaven  itself,  have  con- 
spired to  make  it  a  ruin.  You  climb  the  steep  ascent,  and  pass  the  long 
entrance  to  the  gate  and  hall,  from  whose  huge,  broken  windows  are  seen 
beautiful  views  of  Heidelberg  and  the  valley,  as  of  pictures  in  glorious 
frames.  Above  is  the  broad  stone  terrace,  on  one  side  of  which  rises  the 
carved  facade  of  St.  Udalrich's  chapel.  In  front  of  you,  and  to  the  right 
of  the  chapel,  stands  half  of  another  tower,  with  walls  iwenty-one  feet 
thick,  and  so  solid  that  a  staircase  has  been  dug  through  its  very  heart 
without  affecting  it.  Behind  it  are  numerous  towers  and  wings,  enclosing 
an  irregular  courtyard.  The  eastern  facade,  fronting  on  the  court,  is 
peculiarly  beautiful.  In  the  niches  between  the  windows  are  three  rows 
of  most  grac  ful  Italian  figures.  The  first  is  composed  of  heroes  and  war- 
riors, who  seem  to  be  keeping  knightly  watch  over  the  fair  beings  that 
occupy  the  second  tier.  Two  statues  on  the  summit  are  especially  beau- 
tiful. They  stand  out  against  the  sky  so  airy  and  lifelike,  that  when  the 
evening  sunlight  strikes  them,  one  seems  covering  his  eyes  with  his  hand, 
while  he  delights  his  soul  with  the  glorious  Rhine  valley  spread  out  before 
him.  You  pass  through  the  court;  you  look  with  awe  on  that  rough,  jag- 
ged portcullis  that  seems  as  if  ready  to  fall  at  any  moment,  should  the 
warden  sound  his  horn.  And  remember,  it  has  stood  there  since  1355! 
Passing  the  drawbridge,  you  come  into  the  most  beautiful  grove,  through 
which  wind  the  shadiest  paths,  leading  in  every  direction,  and  bringing 
you  continually  upon  new  views  that  thrill  you  with  excitement.  Far 
away,  behind  and  above  the  castle,  rises  the  KOnigstuhl,  or  king's  seat. 

4 


38  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

You  can  imagine  something  of  the  care  and  expense  lavished  on  this  pride 
of  the  "  Fatherland,"  when  I  tell  you  that  it  takes  some  two  hours  to  mount 
to  the  summit  of  this  mountain,  and  yet  paths  and  roads  wind  around  its 
leafy  groves  to  the  very  crown  itself. 

But  perhaps  you  weary  of  the  reality  of  stone  and  trees  and  long  for 
a  little  romance.  Enter  then  one  of  those  dark  winding  vaults  that  leads 
you  know  not  where.  Pick  your  way  cautiously  with  your  cane — careful! 
careful !  For  aught  you  know  a  precipice  yawns  before  your  very  feet. 
A  damp  sepulchral  air  surrounds  you.  Your  companion  declares  that 
you  approach  the  "  Spirit  vault."  Darker  and  yet  darker  grows  the  pas- 
sage. Now  comes  a  winding  staircase  with  rough  uneven  steps.  It  is 
the  entrance  to  the  Spirit  hall !  Now,  close  your  eyes  and  walk  six  times 
around  the  vault;  then,  you  are  told,  will  the  ghost  be  revealed!  I  tried 
it,  and  I  must  say  that  I  was  prepared  for  almost  anything  when  I  got 
through,  but  not  for  that  which  did  appear,  a  large  hall  with  huge  windows 
(broken)  opening  right  out  into  the  midst  of  the  Castle  Park!  Another 
similar  passage  leads  you  down  to  a  vault  in  which  is  placed  the  old  Hei- 
delberg Tun,  a  huge  barrel,  so  large  that  people  dance  on  the  top  of  it, 
and  which  contains  eight  hundred  hogsheads,  or  283,200  bottles  of  wine. 
It  was  built  in  1751,  and  has  been  three  times  filled.  It  is  36  feet  long 
and  24  high.  In  front  of  it  stands  a  wooden  statue  of  the  famous  dwarf  of 
the  castle,  the  jester,  who  always  drank  his  15  bottles  of  wine  before  sleep- 
ing. (No  wonder  they  needed  huge  tuns  !)  You  form  little  idea  from 
this  poor  description  of  this  ivy-covered,  tree-embowered  Feudal  temple, 
of  its  beauty  or  its  vastness.  But  this  is  not  all  that  makes  Heidelberg 
delightful.  Two  or  three  times  a  week  skilful  musicians  go  up  into  the 
castle  garden  and  there  discourse  music  almost  divine  ! .  .  .  Then  it  is 
that  the  city  pours  forth  its  wealth  and  beauty,  and  old,  and  young  flock  to 
the  castle.  Tables  are  scattered  here  and  there  through  the  groves,  and  you 
continually  meet  families  sitting  around  them,  and  discussing  their  wine, 
beer,  and  other  refreshments,  while  they  listen  to  the  sweetest  music.  But 
I  must  lead  you  across  the  valley  and  give  you  a  nearer  view  of  the  Ilei- 
ligenberg  (Holy  Mountain).  Upon  its  highest  peak  you  will  see  a  ruin — 
the  angle  of  the  wall  of  the  convent  St.  Stephenas.  ...  In  front  of  this  and 
nearer  the  city  you  find  another  ruin  yet  more  remarkable,  for  it  is  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  the  foundation  of  an  old  temple  to  Mercury,  and  a 
short  distance  in  the  rear  is  found  an  old  vault  where  the  Sibyl  is  said  to 
have  given  her  responses.  .  .  .  Here  some  years  ago  were  the  headquarters 
of  a  miserable  set  of  fanatics  called  Flagellators,  who  were  accustomed 
to  go  through  the  streets  half-dressed  and  beating  themselves  most  cruelly 
with  sticks  and  straps.  Hundreds  of  them  made  pilgrimages  to  this  moun- 
tain, styled  by  their  leaders  "Abraham's  Mountain,"  but  the  world  at  last 
became  weary  of  them  and  their  fanaticism  and  they  passed  away. 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  39 

At  last  an  old  man  made  this  peak  his  home.  All  up  and  down  the 
valley  he  went,  bringing  joy  to  the  weary  and  sorrowful.  In  good  deeds 
he  spent  his  life,  and  when  he  died  his  life  had  been  so  stamped  upon  the 
hearts  of  his  fellow-men  that  his  mountain  home  became  sacred,  and  for 
his  sake  they  ever  after  called  it  the  "  Holy  Mountain." 

Is  it  not  strange  that  a  poor,  unpretending  man  has  given  name  to  a 
peak  upon  which  the  heathen  have  raised  their  temples,  the  proud  Roman 
his  fortress  and  noble  families  their  monasteries?  Such  is  the  beautiful 
peak  on  which  I  look  as  I  raise  my  eyes  from  my  paper.  .  .  . 

I  hope  you  are  not  weary,  for  there  are  other  spots  of  which  I  want 
to  tell  you.  Some  two  miles  up  the  valley  is  a  most  beautiful  little  nook, 
shaded  by  luxuriant  forest-trees,  through  which  a  lovely  stream  wends  its 
way  to  the  Neckar.  Here  once  lived  the  enchantress  Jetta,  who  prophesied 
centuries  ago  that  this  Palatinate  should  become  famous,  and  who  met 
with  a  sad  death.  She  was  torn  in  pieces  by  a  wolf !  Ever  since  the  spring 
has  been  known  as  the  Wolf's  Brunnen.  Here  is  a  pleasant  little  hotel, 
and,  if  you  wish,  one  of  the  maids  will  show  you  a  pleasing  sight  By 
ringing  a  bell  she  calls  from  the  brook  and  reservoir  large  numbers  of  the 
finest  brook  trout  to  the  shore,  where  they  eat  crumbs  from  her  hand.  I 
never  saw  larger  trout,  nor  such  numbers. 

Just  opposite  the  Wolf's  Brunnen  stands  a  beautifully-situated  old 
monastery  or  convent,  now  a  water-cure  establishment.  Back  of  this,  along 
the  edge  of  the  mountain  towards  Heidelberg,  runs  a  charming  little  path 
called  the  "  Gute  ICostemveg"  or  the  "  Path  of  good  peeps,"  which  well  de- 
serves the  name,  for  at  intervals,  vistas  have  been  cut  through  the  branch- 
es and  now  the  city,  now  the  castle,  and  then  the  Neckar,  and  the  Wolf's 
Brunnen  or  Konigstuhl  appear,  a  beautiful  picture  framed  with  the  rich 
green  of  the  overhanging  boughs.  I  certainly  never  saw  more  beautiful 
views  than  some  of  these  little  vistas  furnished. 

Such  is  Heidelberg,  or  rather  part  of  it.  When  T  return  I  hope  to 
have  some  engravings  that  will  convey  a  better  idea  of  its  loveliness  than 
my  poor  pen-sketches.  One  never  feels  the  emptiness  of  words  as  when 
he  endeavors  to  describe  that  which  fills  his  soul.  Then  indeed  we  realize 
that  we  have  that  stirring  and  moving  within  us  that  is  worthy  of  a  nobler 
and  more  exalted  life. 

Berlin,  Oct.  23,  1S57. 

My  Dear  L :  Early  Monday  morning,  Aug.  31,  we  found  our  way 

to  the  depot  at  Heidelberg  and  soon  were  off  for  Frankfort  and  Berlin. 
The  railroad  passes  through  the  level  Rhine  valley  that  stretches  from 
the  Odemvald  six  or  eight  miles  to  the  Rhine.  So  we  swept  swiftly  along 
through  luxuriant  fields  of  grain  and  orchards  loaded  with  fruit,  while  on 
our  right  rose  the  far-famed  Odenwald,  on  whose  every  peak — and  they 


4o  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

are  many,  was  set  some  castle  old  and  gray  and  hallowed  with  ancient 
story.  We  passed  churches  built  by  Charlemagne,  and  turrets  where  the 
flags  of  the  Crusaders  often  waved.  .  .  .  The  scenery  is  perfectly  chaotic 
from  this  window,  the  forest-robed  hills  of  the  Odenwald  rolling  and 
tumbling  over  and  upon  each  other  like  a  school  of  porpoises,  in  marked 
contrast  to  that  rich  and  level  plain  that  stretches  far  away  in  the  oppo- 
site direction.  We  hurried  through  Darmstadt ....  to  Frankfort.  .  .  . 
The  gem  of  the  gallery  here  was  a  picture  of  Huss'  trial,  by  Lessing.  .  .  , 
We  went  to  the  Kaisersaal  or  Emperors'  Hall  where  some  forty-five  Ger- 
man emperors  have  celebrated  their  coronations.  .  .  .  The  walls  of  the 
room  were  covered  with  portraits  of  these  emperors  finely  painted,  and 
it  is  said  they  are  mostly  correct  likenesses.  .  .  . 

The  Jews  were  very  numerous  in  Frankfort,  and  live  in  streets  whose 
like  for  filth  and  stench  I  have  never  seen.  The  houses  are  very  high,  and 
almost  meet  far  above  your  head  across  the  narrow  street.  They  appa- 
rently are  crowded  from  garret  to  cellar  ;  and  such  display  of  old  clothes 
and  books,  rusty,  worn-out  kitchen  furniture  of  every  imaginable  descrip- 
tion, and  in  the  most  dilapidated  condition,  I  never  before  have  seen. 

The  geniuses  that  presided  over  these  tempting  displays  of  merchan- 
dise were  worthy  of  their  position — either  old  men  of  the  toothless,  hat- 
less,  shirtless  order,  or  hags  who  looked  as  though  they  could,  with  their 
wiry,  bony  fingers,  make  shillings  of  sixpences  without  the  least  effort. 
Yet  in  these  vile  streets  have  vast  fortunes  been  made,  and  at  the  head  of 
the  street  stands  the  countinghouse  of  Rothschild  himself.  He  is  truly  a 
money  king 

After  speaking  of  Dannecker's  beautiful  statue  of 
Ariadne  and  of  their  visit  at  Marburg,  he  says  : 

At  noon  we  were  in  Cassel — and  the  rain.  Cassel  has  some  very 
fine  buildings,  and,  according  to  Murray,  the  infallible,  the  largest  square 
in  Germany.  In  the  centre  of  the  park  stands  a  statue  at  which  I  could, 
without  many  compunctions,  have  hurled  a  stone,  for  it  was  that  of  Fred- 
erick William,  elector  of  Hesse  Cassel,  who  hired  12,000  of  his  people  to 
fight,  in  the  Revolution,  against  America.  These,  as  you  well  know,  were 
the  Hessians  of  whom  we  read  so  much  in  the  New  Jersey  battles — Mon- 
mouth, etc.  He  received  twenty-two  millions  of  dollars  for  them  from 
England,  which  he  expended  in  beautifying  his  city  and  embellishing  the 
far-famed  gardens  of  William's  Hill  or  Wilhemshohe. 

You  must  permit  me  to  take  you  up  that  splendid  allee  of  lime-trees 
that  reaches  from  Cassel  to  the  "  Palace  of  the  Garden,"  a  distance  of 
more  than  three  miles.  Here  is  a  fine  palace,  but  you  must  not  stop. 
The  water  is  admitted  this  afternoon,  (it  is  a  "fest^  day,)  and  the  crowd, 


LE  TTERS  FR  OM  ABR  OAD.  4 1 

hurrying  up  the  hill,  admonish  us  that  we  must  be  quickening  our  steps. 
Up  we  go  through  the  most  delightfully-shaded  paths  bordered  by  flowers 
of  every  hue  and  form,  till  suddenly  we  come  upon  a  beautiful  sight. 
Through  a  splendid  vista  of  trees  you  see  a  lofty  temple  crowning  the 
summit  of  the  ridge.  A  huge  copper  statue  of  Hercules  makes  the  tem- 
ple a  pedestal.  You  can  judge  of  its  size  when  you  learn  that  eight  per- 
sons can  stand  in  the  club  at  one  time,  and  the  whole  statue  is  31  feet 
high.  From  the  temple  you  descend  to  the  spot  we  occupy  by  two  stair- 
cases of  900  steps  each,  between  which  are  the  most  beautiful  little  basins 
succeeding  each  other  in  regular  steps  from  top  to  bottom.  But  hark  !  a 
shout !  and  the  water  springs,  far  above,  with  a  mighty  leap,  into  the  air, 
as  if  exulting  in  its  freedom.  Quickly  the  basin  is  filled,  and  then  one 
little  stream  after  another  carefully,  quietly  reaches  down  to  the  next  ba- 
sin, and  then,  as  if  the  timid  water-sprites  were  frightened,  as  quickly,  qui- 
etly withdraw  their  silvery  arms.  But  soon  the  rollicking,  flashing  nymphs 
come  rolling  and  tumbling  down  on  the  sparkling  flood,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments it  seems  as  though  one  could  mount  from  top  to  bottom  on  steps  of 
glittering  silver.  It  was  a  splendid  sight,  most  truly;  but  the  crowd  are 
hurrying  down  the  hill,  and  we  must  away,  too,  for  soon  there  will  be  an- 
other water-scene.  Yes,  and  here  it  is !  See  !  how  it  gushes  forth  from  the 
roots  of  those  noble  old  limes  and  comes  pouring  down  over  rocks  covered 
with  velvet  cushions  of  the  greenest  moss.  You  think  it  must  sweep  the 
crowd  at  the  base  away ;  but  no,  channels  safe  and  sound  are  provided, 
and  the  waters  foam  and  bubble  around,  vainly  striving  to  burst  their 
rocky  bounds.  A  little  below  is  the  grand  fountain,  the  highest  in  Eu- 
rope. We  are  just  in  time,  and  beyond  those  beautiful  swans  the  waters 
begin  to  burst  forth,  a  water  volcano  in  the  midst  of  that  crystal  sea.  Up, 
up,  up  they  go,  each  proud  sprite  stretching  higher,  higher,  higher,  till  at 
last  toppling,  balancing,  they  fall;  and  oh,  how  spitefully,  even  angrily, 
they  bury  themselves,  those  flashing  darts  of  silver  spray 

Continuing  the  account  of  this  journey,  he  speaks  of 
Eisenach  and  its  "  quaint  old  houses  that  looked  as  hon- 
est and  contented  as  though  nothing  newer  or  better  had 
ever  been  built,"  and  then  of  Wartburg  and  "the  emo- 
tions which  thrilled  him  as  he  climbed  that  famous  hill 
which,  237  years  ago,  Luther,  in  the  hands  of  his  captors, 
climbed." 

The  portal  of  Luther's  Patmos  is  reached First  they  led  us 

into  a  chamber  where  the  armor  of  famous  old  characters,  such  as  Cardi- 

* 


42  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

nal  of  Bourbon,  Pope  Julius  II.,  etc.,  was  gathered.  One  was  made  of 
braided  steel,  and  covered  the  whole  body.  Another  was  of  brass  and  shone 
like  gold.  There  was  a  sword  four  and  a  half  or  five  feet  long  and  very 
heavy.  Hence  we  passed  into  a  beautiful  room,  which  has  just  been  com- 
pletely refitted,  where  was  held  a  famous  contest  of  the  Minnesingers  in 
1207.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  a  picture  in  the  Dusseldorf  gallery  repre- 
sents the  exciting  scene.  On  the  walls  were  beautiful  frescoes. . . .  From 
the  windows  of  this  hall  there  is  a  most  enchanting  view,  where  hill  and 
forest  and  shaded  valley  mingle  in  wild,  simple,  unpretending  beauty. 
Wartburg  (wooded  mountain)  was  so  called  by  its  first  owner,  who  in  one 
of  his  hunting  excursions  came  with  his  companions  suddenly  upon  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  and  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the  scene  before  him,  ex- 
claimed, "  This  is  Wartburg,  and  here  is  my  home."  Thence  we  passed 
through  a  narrow  hall  to  the  chapel  where  Luther  was  wont  to  preach  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  castle.  It  is  a  small  room,  but  beautifully  fitted  up. 
I  think,  however,  I  would  rather  have  seen  the  old  wooden  pulpit  of  Lu- 
ther than  the  velvet-faced  affair  that  has  usurped  its  place.  On  the  sides  of 
the  hall  I  mentioned  are  several  fine  frescoes  representing  the  ancient  lord 
of  the  castle  starting  for  the  Crusades,  and  also  the  glorious  triumph  of 
his  return.  Here,  too,  were  sketched  the  leading  events  in  the  life  of  the 
noble  St.  Elizabeth  of  Thuringia,  whose  home  was  also  in  this  famous  cas- 
tle. Among  them  the  most  striking,  perhaps,  was  that  representing  the 
loaves  in  her  apron  turning  into  flowers.  You  remember  the  legend,  I 
presume.  Her  husband  was  very  penurious  and  cruel,  and  seeing  her  one 
morning  going  to  the  gate  with  well-filled  apron  for  the  poor,  he  demand- 
ed what  she  carried.  "  Flowers,"  she  answered.  Not  believing  her,  he 
rudely  tore  her  grasp  away,  when,  strange  to  say,  flowers  instead  of  loaves 
fell  to  the  ground. 

But  I  must  pass  the  other  rooms  to  take  you  to  Wartburg's  greatest 
glory,  Luther's  room.  This,  I  'm  glad  to  say,  is  just  as  "Knight  George  " 
(Luther's  name  here)  left  it.  It  is  very  small,  18  by  12  feet,  and  the  rough 
boards  and  cobwebbed  timbers  appear  on  every  side.  There  is  the  same 
old  stove,  his  copper  wash-basin,  his  table  too,  on  which  was  written,  in 
addition  to  many  other  excellent  things,  his  glorious  translation  of  the  Bi- 
ble ;  and  that  huge  old  chest  in  which  was  contained  his  wardrobe.  The 
window  was  as  quaint  as  the  rest  of  the  room.  The  panes  were  very 
small  and  thick,  and  looked  like  the  bottoms  of  broken  bottles  more  than 
anything  else  I  can  think  of.  The  table  is  banded  with  iron,  that  it  may 
not  suffer  the  fate  of  chair  and  bedstead,  which  have  been  carried  away 
in  bits  by  visitors  !  There  is  also  the  hole,  the  last  sign  of  Luther's  conflict 
with  the  devil,  when  he  hurled  the  inkstand  at  his  head  and  smashed  it 
against  the  wall.  Relic-hunters  have  dug  every  sign  of  it  away,  and  left  a 
huge  hole  in  the  plaster!    But  time  is  up  and  I  must  tear  myself  away  ... 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  43 

A  few  minutes  more  and  we  are  in  Erfurt.  Erfurt  is  a  quiet  old 
town  of  some  27,000  inhabitants,  not  more  than  half  what  it  once  contained. 
It  has  some  fine  buildings  in  it,  but  for  the  most  part  the  streets  are  crook- 
ed and  narrow  enough.  To  us  there  was  but  one  point  of  interest — Lu- 
ther's cell  in  the  old  Augustine  convent.  It  is  no  longer  a  convent,  but 
has  been  changed  into  an  orphan  asylum,  and  as  we  approached  the  door 
we  heard  the  sweet  voices  of  children  chanting  the  songs  of  praise  where 
monks  once  told  their  beads  and  went  through  monotonous  litanies.  Is 
not  this  old  building  truly  a  type  of  the  Reformation  ?  That  humble  monk 
breathed  a  new  spirit  into  crumbling,  fallen  Christendom,  and  now  there 
is  but  one  convent  to  be  found  where  once  they  were  counted  by  scores, 
and  the  once  despised  Luther  honors  this  building  by  bestowing  on  it  his 
name.  (It  is  called  Martin's  Asylum.)  We  were  taken  up  stairs  and 
through  a  long  hall,  once  the  chapel  of  the  monastery,  lined  with  pictures 
of  men  active  in  the  Reformation.  From  it  opened,  among  others,  that 
narrow,  low-ceiled  cell  where  Luther  the  Catholic  was  changed  into  Luther 
the  man.  It  is  a  little  room,  only  12  by  12,  that  once  held  so  much.  The 
furniture  is  the  same  that  Luther  once  used,  and  I  wrote  from  the  same 
inkstand  that  he  used  while  here.  The  wall  was  written  all  over  with  ex- 
tracts from  the  Bible  made  by  Luther  himself  when  a  student  of  that  long, 
forgotten  book,  which  he  by  chance  had  found  in  ransacking  the  convent 
library.  He  had  arranged  the  texts  under  various  heads,  as  justification, 
condemnation,  sanctification.  I  was  struck  with  one  passage  that  occu- 
pied a  prominent  place:  "  Now  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are  these,  love,  joy, 
peace,"  etc.  They  breathed  the  spirit  of  true  reform.  The  wall  where  he 
wrote  has  been  repapered  and  the  verses  copied  upon  it  in  a  neat,  plain 
hand.  Erfurt  and  its  narrow  cell,  it  seems  to  me,  tell  more  of  Luther's 
greatness  than  any  other  point  in  his  history.  At  Wittenberg,  Wart- 
burg,  Worms,  etc.,  he  was  surrounded  by  friends.  He  was  opposed  by 
bitter  enemies.  He  had  committed  himself.  He  must  go  forward  ox  per- 
ish. But  here  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  to  incite.  Everything  tended 
in  the  opposite  direction;  and  yet  year  after  year  he  struggled  to  learn  the 
truth,  and  patiently,  secretly  toiled  till  the  appointed  time  had  come.  May 
we,  my  dear  sisters,  learn  the  lesson,  and  ever  working,  ever  faithful,  wait 
God's  time  to  bring  the  fruits.  Those  only  are  worthy  of  high  position 
who  know  how  to  be  equal  to  their  low  estate. 

Pray  excuse  my  many,  many  mistakes,  for  I  have  written  in  great 
haste  and  amid  many  interruptions.  Good-by,  and  that  God  may  ever 
bless  you  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  your  absent,  but  ever  loving 

CHARLIE. 

My  dear  Mother  :  .  .  .  .  God  has  indeed  "  provided  wonderfully 
for  you  all,"  and  I  feel  that  he  is  doing  it  that  I  may  the  more  contentedly 


44  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

remain  in  Europe  my  appointed  time If  at  any  time  my  presence 

is  necessary,  send  for  me,  and  I  will  return  immediately G is 

my  greatest  anxiety  just  now.     I  do  hope  he  is  diligent  and  faithful.     Do 

see  that  he  is  regular  in  his  study-hours They  have  a  fine  school  at 

L ,  and  though  you  should  remain  but  a  few  weeks,  it  is  much  better 

that  he  should  be  at  work.  If  you  really  want,  my  dear  brother,  to  enjoy 
your  visit,  you  must  do  your  duty  first.  Remember  one  thing,  never  put 
off  till  to-morrow  what  you  can  learn  to-day.  To-day  is  all  we  own ;  "to- 
morrow" never  comes;  therefore  never  say,  "  I  will  do  this  or  that  next 
year,"  if  you  can  do  it  now.  When  you  have  time  you  must  read  Long- 
fellow's "  Kavanagh,"  not  for  the  story  only,  but  the  lessons  he  will  teach. 
See  how  the  poor  schoolmaster  was  ever  planning,  planning  great  things, 
but  at  the  end  of  life  was  no  nearer  the  end  desired  than  at  the  beginning. 
Especially  remember  these  lines,  so  beautiful,  with  which  he  closes: 

"  Stay,  stay  the  present  instant, 
Imprint  the  marks  of  wisdom  on  its  wings; 
Oh,  let  it  not  e'ude  thy  grasp  ;  but,  like 
The  good  old  patriarch  upon  record, 
Hold  the  fleet  angel  fast  until  he  bless  thee." 

I  am  very  glad,  dear  mother,  that  you  have  concluded  to  visit  the 
East.  I  hope  you  will  remember  me  most  affectionately  to  all  my  dear 
friends  there.  Where  is  Uncle  Thomas?  I  do  wish  he  would  write  me 
if  he  is  not  too  busy.  I  am  sure  he  would  have  many  words  of  good  coun- 
sel to  one  just  commencing  the  race  which  he  has  run  so  long  and  well. . . . 

But  I  must  tell  you  of  my  present  home  and  pleasures.  We  have 
been  here  in  Berlin  seven  weeks,  and  on  the  whole  have  enjoyed  it  very 
much.  It  cannot  compare  with  beautiful  Heidelberg,  for  it  stands  in  the 
midst  of  a  great  sandy  plain,  watered  by  the  sluggish,  filthy  Spree,  a  river 
by  name,  a  sewer  in  reality.  The  streets  are  broad  and  quite  clean,  but 
the  foul  exhalations  from  the  sewers,  that  assail  you  at  almost  every  step, 
are  only  excelled  by  those  of  Cologne,  far-famed  as  the  foulest  city  of  Eu- 
rope, or  at  least  of  Germany.  Still,  a  man  can  accustom  himself  to  al- 
most anything,  and  I  can  now  endure  even  Berlin  gutters  with  scarcely  a 
wince. 

As  C wished  to  be  at  the  meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  we 

hurried  to  Berlin  rather  earlier  than  I  wished ;  but  I  have  been  amply  re- 
paid in  attending  the  exercises  of  a  meeting  the  like  of  which  I  never  ex- 
pect to  see  on  earth.  There  were  some  fourteen  hundred  regular  mem- 
bers ;  nine  hundred  or  so  from  Central  Europe,  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine  from  England,  thirty  or  so  from  our  own  land,  three  each  from  Asia, 
Africa,  and  Australia;  while  Italy,  Spain,  France,  Russia,  and  Sweden, 
were  not  wanting  in  delegates.  Many  of  Germany's  most  distinguished 
men  were  present.     England's  noble  son,  Sir  Culling  Eardley,  a  prince  in 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  45 

good  deeds,  was  here,  and  with  him  not  a  few  of  England's  learned  and 
brave  and  good. 

But  the  man  whom  I  most  rejoiced  to  see  was  the  far-famed  author  of 
the  History  of  the  Reformation — D'Aubigne,  from  Geneva.  He  is  a  tall, 
fine-looking  man,  fifty-five  years  of  age,  I  should  think,  with  heavy  eye- 
brows, that  give  something  of  sternness  to  his  noble  face ;  but  when  you 
hear  him  pouring  forth  his  polished,  pithy  sentences  from  an  overflowing 
heart,  you  feel  that  you  are  in  the  presence  of  a  man  who  truly  loves  his 
God  and  his  fellow-men.  He  occupied  a  prominent  position  throughout 
the  exercises,  and  his  remarks  were  always  listened  to  with  the  utmost 
attention  and  respect. 

The  exercises  of  the  first  day  I  can  never  forget.  There  were  gath- 
ered representatives  from  Christ's  kingdom  throughout  the  world,  and 
though  their  languages  differed,  one  heart  and  one  spirit  seemed  to  per- 
vade the  whole  assembly.  No  matter  whether  the  prayer  or  the  speech 
were  in  English,  French,  or  German,  there  were  ever  the  same  kindling 
eye  and  glowing  face  that  betoken  a  feeling  heart.  Never  can  I  forget 
the  speech  of  a  young  German,  a  missionary  from  Australia.  It  was  near 
the  close  of  the  exercises,  and  the  speakers  had  been  limited  to  five  min- 
utes each.  His  heart  was  full  to  overflowing,  and  he  knew  not  how  to 
crowd  himself  within  such  narrow  limits.  His  words  came  forth  in  a  per- 
fect torrent  while  he  described  the  greetings,  so  earnest,  so  heartfelt,  that 
fellow-laborers — bishops,  pastors,  and  churches — had  sent  to  Berlin  from 
the  antipodes.  But  these  were  only  the  beginning.  At  each  island  on  his 
journey  home  he  received  fresh  messages  ;  others  must  send  words  of  en- 
couragement and  love.  China,  even,  through  her  missionaries,  he  repre- 
sented;  and  as  he  closed  his  thrilling  speech  every  heart  felt,  "Millennial 
days  are  drawing  nigh."  Already  they  come  from  the  East  and  from  the 
West,  the  North  and  the  South,  to  the  great  feast  of  the  Lord,  and  the  isl- 
ands of  the  sea  stretch  out  their  hands  unto  the  Lord.  I  was  right  glad 
to  see  our  new  American  ambassador  stand  up  as  a  delegate  from  the 
United  States  to  honor  her  and  the  cause  of  Christianity.  He  is  a  Meth- 
odist, and  has  been  an  exhorter ;  was  governor  of  Indiana  three  times, 
and  is  reported  a  most  excellent  and  active  Christian. 

At  the  close  of  these  exercises  we  received  an  invitation  (for  I  had 
also  become  a  member)  to  visit  the  king  at  Potsdam.  Potsdam,  by-the- 
way,  is  the  favorite  residence  of  the  king,  and  is  distant  by  the  cars  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour,  or  about  eighteen  miles.  Since  you  have  never  seen 
a  king,  I  will  try  in  my  poor  way  to  describe  the  trip  and  the  ceremonies. 
We  left  Berlin  about  two  o'clock,  p.  M.,  in  cars  furnished  by  his  Majesty. 
There  were  four  long  trains  filled  with  some  twelve  hundred  guests.  We 
were  hurried  through  the  level,  sandy  plain,  and  in  a  few  minutes  had  the 
pleasure  of  gazing  on  the  forests  and  hills  of  a  beautiful,  undulating  coun- 


46  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

try.  Soon  (he  spires  of  Potsdam,  a  city  of  some  forty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, appeared.  But  the  palace  where  we  were  to  meet  the  king  was  two 
miles  beyond  ;  so  we  continued  our  journey  to  Wild  Park.  Presently  the 
broad  allee  leading  to  the  palace  was  thronged  by  the  hundreds  of  expec- 
tant guests,  all  straining  their  eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  royal  dwell- 
ing, and  soon  it  came  in  sight,  a  huge  brick  building  faced  with  pilasters 
of  granite  and  sandstone,  and  crowned  with  statues  innumerable.  The 
grounds  around  were  in  beautiful  order,  and  many  a  fine  walk  was  flanked 
by  noble  orange-trees  laden  with  luscious  fruit.  (By-the-way,  this  palace 
was  built  by  Frederick  the  Great,  and  cost  $6,000,000.) 

We  first  entered  a  hall,  one  side  of  which  was  lined  with  wines  and 
ice-creams  of  every  flavor  and  hue,  and  in  abundance  truly  regal.  But  we 
passed  immediately  into  the  adjoining  room,  being  allowed  for  the  present 
only  to  feast  our  eyes.  This  hall  furnished  a  treat  of  another  kind.  It 
was  an  immense  room,  whose  walls  were  lined  with  gems,  minerals,  and 
shells.  The  pillars,  which  were  scattered  up  and  down,  were  of  the  same 
rich  materials,  interspersed  with  blocks  of  marble.  The  floors  were  of 
polished  oak  set  in  diamond  blocks,  and  polished  so  smoothly  that  one 
had  to  keep  his  feet  under  due  subjection,  or  run  the  risk  of  finding  them 
higher  than  his  head.  Thence  we  passed  into  an  adjoining  suite  of  rooms 
opening  one  after  another,  the  walls  of  which  were  lined  with  pictures 
whose  beauty  was  only  rivalled  by  the  splendid  landscapes  revealed 
through  the  large  windows  opening  on  the  magnificent  lawn  and  park  in 
front  of  the  palace.  Here  were  spread  tables  loaded  with  every  luxury  in 
the  way  of  fruits,  confectionaries,  ice-creams,  wines,  etc.  You  would  have 
been  amused  to  see  the  eagerness,  curiosity,  and  pleasure,  which  appeared 
on  every  face  almost ;  and  as  I  saw  the  terrible  onslaught  made  on  the 
choicest  viands,  I  was  almost  afraid  the  king  would  have  occasion  to 
repeat  the  remark  of  the  famous  Brown  of  New  York,  who,  having  pro- 
vided an  immense  quantity  of  oysters  for  a  ministers'  party,  comforted 
the  astonished  host  by  assuring  him  that  "them  religious  eats  awful." 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  expressive  countenance  of  one  good  German 
minister  who,  with  mouth,  hands,  and  eyes,  full  to  overflowing,  exclaimed, 
"  Es  ist  alles  fur  wis  /"  "  It  is  all  for  us !"  giving  the  us  an  emphasis 
which  meant  something  when  you  considered  the  vast  size  of  those  capa- 
cious pockets  that  already  were  loaded  with  "something  for  the  children." 

But  the  feasting  at  last  was  over,  and  every  one  obeyed  the  summons 
to  repair  to  the  front  of  the  palace.  At  the  extreme  right  of  the  long  steps 
which  stretch  the  whole  length  of  the  palace,  were  placed  the  Americans, 
next  the  English,  then  the  French,  Hollanders,  etc.,  by  nationalities  alpha- 
betically arranged.  Thus  a  huge  semicircle  was  formed  in  front  of  the 
principal  entrance  where  the  king  was  to  appear.  Here  we  waited  for 
some  time,  and  for  fear  that  some  might  yet  be  unsatisfied,  the  most  deli- 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  47 

cious  ices  were  freely  served  by  the  ready  servants.  Soon  the  sound  of 
wheels  was  heard  through  the  shady  avenue,  and  presently  a  liveried  cou- 
rier on  a  splendid  white  horse  announced  the  presence  of  his  majesty,  who 
followed  in  a  fine  carriage  drawn  by  six  horses,  guided  by  three  drivers, 
one  for  each  span.  These  coachmen  rode  not  on  the  box,  as  with  us, 
but  each  on  one  of  the  horses  which  he  drove.  The  queen  also  accompa- 
nied him.  Another  carriage  with  six  horses  followed,  containing  a  count 
and  his  lady,  the  lord  chamberlain,  I  believe,  while  two  or  three  carriages 
with  maids  of  honor  brought  up  the  rear.  They  entered  the  palace,  and 
in  a  few  moments  the  king  presented  himself  at  the  great  central  door  in 
the  midst  of  the  vast  assembly.  Every  head  was  uncovered,  and  shouts 
of  welcome  and  honor  rose  from  hundreds  of  warm  and  loving  hearts. 
The  king  is  a  pleasant-looking  old  gentleman  of  sixty-three  years  of  age, 
bald,  with  side-whiskers,  and  rather  a  reddL  h  face.  He  was  dressed  in 
soldier  costume,  and  wore  the  heavy  brazen  and  golden  helmet  which  is 
the  distinguishing  badge  of  the  Prussian  army.  After  being  introduced 
to  the  committee,  he  descended  the  steps  and  was  addressed  by  some  del- 
egate from  each  nation  as  he  passed  around  within  the  circle  of  guests ; 
and  after  each  speech  the  more  distinguished  delegates  were  introduced 
to  him.  I  observed  that  he  was  very  cordial  in  his  greetings  to  our  noble 
missionaries,  Dr.  Dwight  of  Constantinople,  and  Dr.  King  of  Athens,  who 
were  fortunately  present.  The  king  is  a  noble,  consistent  Christian,  and 
has  done  not  a  little  for  Dr.  Dwight  and  others  in  Turkey.  He  also  car- 
ried out  the  plan  of  this  Alliance  in  the  face  of  the  most  determined  oppo- 
sition. The  queen  soon  after  also  appeared  and  was  greeted  by  several  of 
the  most  distinguished  guests.  She  is  lame,  but  bears  herself  with  much 
grace,  and  draws  every  heart  to  her  by  the  pleasant,  motherly  smi^e  that 
rests  on  her  noble  face. 

Some  two  hours  elapsed  before  the  king  had  completed  the  circuit. 
As  he  ascended  the  steps  the  whole  audience  burst  forth  into  Luther's 
noble  hymn,  "  The  Lord  is  our  shade  ar.d  our  defence."  The  king  re- 
mained standing  uncovered  while  it  was  being  sung,  with  his  wife  and 
court  around  him.  Immediately  the  court  preacher,  the  famous  Dr.  Krum- 
macher,  pronounced  the  benediction  on  his  Royal  Majesty  and  his  house, 
and  they  departed  in  the  same  style  in  which  they  came,  to  Sans  Souci,  his 
favorite  palace,  some  two  miles  from  the  New  Palace. 

Pleased  with  all  they  had  seen  and  heard,  the  mighty  assembly  re- 
turned to  the  cars  and  Berlin.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  much  more  about  this 
interesting  meeting,  which  continued  some  ten  days,  but  my  room  is  all 
exhausted. 

May  God  watch  over  ard  b'ess  you  all  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  your 
absent  CHARLIE. 


48  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

My  dear  Sisters  way  down  in  old  Mississippi : .  .  .  .  Your  last  letters 
were  charming.  I  have  read  and  reread  them  and  think  them  better  than 
printed  letters  by  far.  The  description  of  your  ride  was  worthy  of  Dickens 
in  his  palmiest  days,  both  for  novelty  and  raciness  of  style.  I  can  truly 
rejoice  that  you  have  been  so  favored  as  to  be  together.  I  shall  feel 
much  easier  in  regard  to  you  in  case  of  sickness.  Every  day  it  seems  to 
me  that  I  could  not  enough  praise  God  for  his  kindness  and  love  to  us 
all ;  but  when  I  remember  how  rich  he  is  and  good  and  kind,  I  only  won- 
der that  I  ever  did  distrust  him.  Ah !  I  wish  my  faith  were  always  as 
strong  as  it  is  at  times  ;  then  I  should  always  be  contented  and  happy.  .  . 
Keep  up  good  courage,  my  dear  sisters.  Trust  in  our  Father  in  heaven  and 
you  shall  never  want  any  good  thing.  Pray  often  for  your  wandering  brother 
that  he  may  indeed  be  fitted  for  that  great,  great  work  to  which  he  hopes 
he  has  been  called.  Ah  !  I  feel  at  times  so  weak  and  afraid  !  and  were 
there  not  so  much  to  do,  so  much  need  of  workmen,  would  be  only  too 
glad  to  play  the  Jonah  and  escape  to  Tarshish.  .  . .  You  speak  of  that 
glorious  work  in  America.  Yes,  we  heard  of  it  for  the  first  time  in  Rome, 
and  spite  of  all  the  attractions,  I  have  been  homesick  ever  since.  Oh,  I 
long  to  be  at  work !  Pray  earnestly,  my  precious  sisters,  that  I  may  be 
prepared  for  the  labor  before  me  in  soul  and  body.  .  .  .  Many  thanks  for 
all  your  words  of  love.  Kind  remembrances  to  all  that  are  so  kind  to 
you.     Good-by.  CHARLIE. 

TO  HIS  BROTHER  IN  YALE  COLLEGE. 

I  was  glad  to  see  your  chum  and  through  him  to  learn  more  definite- 
ly of  college  interest  in  religion,  and  of  your  own  special  interest.  I  hope 
and  pray  that  it  may  be  a  baptism  of  the  Spirit  that  shall  give  you  larger 
and  nobler  views  of  life  than  you  have  ever  had  before.  Work  for  Jesus, 
for  there  is  nothing  in  the  wide  world  one  moment  to  compare  with  it. 

My  dear  Sisters:  I  am  just  on  the  point  of  leaving  Berlin,  yet,  if  I 
recollect  aright,  I  have  said  little  or  nothing  of  my  home  for  the  last  eight 
months.  Berlin  is  a  city  that  never  made  itself.  Standing  in  the  midst 
of  a  great  sandy  plain,  it  offered  no  attractions  to  the  manufacturer  and 
few  to  the  agriculturist,  nor  can  the  sluggish,  little  Spree,  that  serves  as  a 
receptacle  for  all  Berlin's  filth,  ever  become  very  famous  for  its  commerce. 
In  fact  Berlin  is  a  hothouse  plant,  that  was  forced  to  grow  whether  it 
wou'd  or  not. 

When  Frederick  the  Great  came  to  the  throne  he  would  have  a  huge 
city  in  Prussia,  a  rival  of  London  and  Paris.  He  therefore  opened  new 
and  broad  streets  in  every  direction,  and  told  the  people  that  they  must 
fill  them  with  houses.  Many  buildings  were  built  at  the  expense  of  the 
government,  which  were  known  as  Free  houses,  and  furnished  rent  free 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  49 

in  times  of  peace,  though  they  paid  proportionally  high  taxes  in  times 
of  war.  Under  his  skilful  management  Berlin  rapidly  increased  in  popu- 
lation until  it  now  contains  500,000  inhabitants.  The  streets  are  generally 
broad  and  well  paved  but  there  is  a  sameness  about  the  architecture  that 
is  exceedingly  monotonous.  There  being  but  little  stone  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, the  houses  are  built  of  brick,  and  almost  without  exception,  stuccoed 
the  same,  tiresome,  slate  color.  In  order  to  occupy  as  much  room  as 
possible,  they  are  stretched  along  the  streets,  while  their  height  seems 
quite  insignificant.  The  public  buildings  are  much  the  same.  Even  the 
palace  itself  reveals  the  same  melancholy  hue,  except  where  here  and 
there,  large  pieces  of  the  wall  plaster  have  pealed  off,  suggesting  the  ass 
concealed  beneath  the  lion's  skin.  The  palace  is  a  huge  building,  two  or 
three  times  the  size  of  the  Metropolitan  Hotel.  It  stands  at  the  head  of 
the  famous  "  Unter  den  Linden"  and  commands  a  view  of  its  whole 
length  and  of  the  beautiful  Brandenburg  gate  through  which  the  street  is 
entered. 

We  visited  the  Palace  the  other  day,  and  I  must  say,  that,  consider- 
ing the  sums  of  money  that  have  been  spent,  it  is  rather  a  tasteless  affair. 
There  were  immense  sofas,  covered  with  gold  and  silver  brocade  at  fabu- 
lous prices,  and  mirrors  whose  frames  were  solid  silver,  which  the  guide 
informed  us,  'were  made  by  Berlin  artists!'  while  the  expression  of  his 
countenance  indicated  that  we  should  call  them  very  fine ;  but  in  con- 
science I  could  not,  and  I  must  conclude,  from  the  specimens  that  have 
come  under  my  eye  that  Germany  must  yield  the  palm  in  this  line  to  the 
French.  There  were  some  chandeliers  here  that  were  truly  magnificent, 
consisting  of  quartz  crystals  that  shone  and  glittered  in  the  sun  like  dia- 
monds. One  from  London  I  think,  consists  of  700,000  crystals  and  has 
eighty-eighty  lights.  The  floors  are  of  oak,  tessellated,  and  so  smooLh 
that  you  are  not  allowed  to  wear  boots,  but  must  slide  around  in  huge 
slippers  furnished  at  the  door.  The  ceiling  of  one  of  the  rooms  was  fine. 
It  was  so  frescoed  that  the  centre  was  apparently  a  tent-like  canopy  of 
blue  silk,  while,  in  the  corners  beautiful  scenes  revealed  themselves  be- 
neath its  pendant  folds.  In  the  Throne  hall  were  some  most  beautiful 
specimens  of  plate  that  have  been  purchased  or  presented  to  the  royal 
house  in  days  gone  by.  One  piece,  by  Cellini,  is  of  gold,  covered  with 
the  most  beautiful  graving,  and  figures  in  relief. 

The  White  room,  so  called,  has  just  been  redecorated  at  an  expense 
of  $100,000,  and  contains  eighteen  statues  of  the  eighteen  electors  of 
Brandenburg,  from  whom  Prussia's  royal  house  descended,  also  beau- 
tiful frescoes  representing  the  different  provinces  of  the  kingdom.  At 
both  ends  are  galleries  splendidly  fitted  up,  while,  between  the  stairs 
that  rise  upon  each  side,  are  two  fountains  with  tropical  flowers  surround- 
ing them   in  the  greatest   abundance.     From   the  windows,  I  think  you 

5 


50  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

have  the  most  beautiful  views  in  Berlin.  .  .  .  The  museums  are  the  pride 
of  Berlin,  and  they  are  certainly  most  beautiful.  The  Old  Museum  has  a 
fine  colonnade  in  front ;  beneath  which  are,  by  all  odds,  the  best  frescoes 
I  ever  saw.  .  .  .  There  is  one  thing  that  would  strike  you  singularly  on 
entering  Berlin  :  two  fine  churches  with  a  large  theatre  between  them. 
They  are  all  noble  buildings  and  produce  a  fine  effect.  By  the  way, 
theatres,  operas,  and  concerts,  are  all  the  rage  here  Sunday  evenings ; 
indeed,  the  Sabbath  is  the  great  gala  day,  and  the  streets  and  parks  are 
crowded  with  people  dressed  in  their  best. 

And  now  I  must  leave  the  buildings,  too  famous  and  grand  to  be  de- 
scribed by  word  of  mouth,  and  tell  you  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  place 
itself.  In  the  first  place,  you  would  be  struck  by  the  crowd  of  soldiers 
that  throng  the  streets  and  monopolize  the  honors  of  private  and  civil  life. 
Prussia,  you  know,  has  no  such  natural  protections  or  barriers,  as  Italy, 
France,  and  Spain,  find  in  mountains,  rivers,  and  oceans;  so  it  must  rear 
as  it  were  mountains  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  thus  ward  off  the  dangers 
that  threaten  it  on  every  side  from  powerful  rivals.  Think  of  a  nation  of 
16.000,000  having  a  standing  army  of  250,000  able-bodied  men  that  can  be 
increased  at  any  moment  to  500,000,  and  you  have  some  idea  of  the  terrible 
burden  Prussia  has  to  bear.  If  great  honor  and  attention  were  not  r.aid 
to  those  that  enter  the  military  service,  the  people  would  not  endure  it. 
As  it  is,  a  pair  of  epaulettes  is  a  passport  to  favor  and  sunshine,  and  the 
multitudes  readily  catch  at  the  tempting  bait.  But  even  so,  it  is  not  a  willing 
service,  for  every  man  must  be  a  soldier,  at  least  three  years,  and  a  slave's 
life  it  is.  The  common  soldier  must,  each  day,  go  on  parade,  and  then 
he  is  marched  up  and  down  by  a  corporal,  singly,  or  with  two  or  three  in 
company,  till  he  can  accomplish  all  the  maneuvres  perfectly.  These  cor- 
porals are  little  tyrants.  They  call  the  privates  all  sorts  of  foul  names, 
pull  their  ears,  hold  them  by  the  nose,  while  they  perform  difficult  feats, 
and  if  the  poor  soldier  makes  a  wry  face  even,  or  dares  to  speak,  put  him 
in  jail  for  twenty-four  hours. 

Such  are  the  men  that  hold  Prussia  down.  Slaves  themselves,  they 
make  slaves  of  others.  They  stand  on  every  corner,  they  hold  watch  day 
and  night,  they  fill  huge  barracks  in  every  part  of  the  city,  they  know  your 
going  out  and  coming  in;  like  the  frogs  of  Egypt,  they  swarm  on  every  side, 
and,  should  the  people  endeavor  again  as  in  '48  to  rebel,  they  would  only 
too  sorely  feel  the  yoke  that  galls  their  necks.  From  the  hour  an  infant 
enters  the  world  till,  an  old  man,  he  sleeps  in  the  churchyard,  those  Argus 
eyes  are  ever  upon  him.  Does  a  parent  wish  his  child  baptized  ?  he  must 
ask  the  permission  of  the  police.  Is  the  child  not  baptized  within  six 
months  of  birth  ?  he  must  pay  a  fine.  Does  a  young  man  wish  to  marry 
or  go  into  business  ?  he  must  have  passed  a  certain  examination,  gone 
through  nobody  knows  how  many  a  tedious  form,  and,  having  at  last  ob- 


LETTERS  ER OM  ABR  OAD.  5 1 

tained  his  license,  rest  (?)  in  the  comfortable  assurance  that  at  any  mo- 
ment his  newly-acquired  rights  may  be  taken  away,  should  his  conduct 
be  in  the  least  suspicious.  No  rank  or  condition  is  free  ;  the  clergy  them- 
selves are  appointed  by  government ;  and  there  is  on  every  side,  evidence 
that  the  authorities  think  every  man  a  traitor  and  a  villain,  and  will 
deal  with  him  accordingly.  Better,  ay,  far  better,  to  have  riots  from  time 
to  time,  and  suffer  the  inconveniences  that  we  must  in  America,  and  yet 
allow  every  man  to  feel  that  he  \sfree  and  hottest  till  he  has  proved  him- 
self otherwise,  than  to  live  under  such  a  government. 

With  a  vast  military  organization  like  this,  we  have,  of  course,  some 
grand  displays.  I  well  remember  the  splendid  music  that  wakened  me 
ev^ry  morning,  as  six  regiments  with  their  bands  passed  beneath  my 
window  to  parade.  As  one  moved,  so  moved  a  thousand  soldiers,  while 
from  their  serried  arms  wave  after  wave  of  glittering  light  flashed  upon  the 
dazzled  sight.  Perhaps  the  finest  scene  I  have  witnessed  was  an  artillery 
and  cavalry  review  in  September.  Some  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  soldiers 
were  present.  They  were  drawn  up  in  battle  array — two  grand  divisions 
opposite  each  other,  at  a  distance  of  some  two  or  three  miles.  Indeed, 
they  formed  our  horizon,  and  we  could  but  just  discern  them  from  the  trees 
by  the  glittering  helmets  and  swords  that  flashed  defiance  beneath  the 
burning  sun.  Presently  that  long  dark  line  began  to  move;  now  slowly, 
now  more  rapidly,  till  at  last  it  fairly  flew,  like  some  swift  thunder-cloud, 
upon  the  foe  awaiting  it.  Suddenly  the  flying  artillery  poured  its  terrible 
volleys  upon  the  glittering  host ;  thick  smoke  curled  above  their  heads — a 
canopy  to  hide  the  dire  conflict  from  heaven !  Broken,  scattered  by  the 
murderous  volleys,  whose  fury  they  could  not  endure,  like  some  huge  wave 
that  vainly  pours  its  floods  upon  an  adamantine  cliff,  they  recoiled  to  form 
their  ranks  anew,  and  again  to  renew  the  assault.  So  in  alternate  waves 
they  swept  across  the  plains,  coming  ever  nearer  and  nearer,  till  at  last  we 
were  enveloped  in  the  very  dust  and  smoke  of  the  battle  itself :  cannon 
were  flying  hither  and  thither,  while  horsemen,  on  furiously  galloping 
steeds,  threatened  our  lives  at  every  moment.  At  last  order  from  confu- 
sion came ;  from  that  disordered,  entangled  mass  gleamed  out  a  noble 
host  in  long  array,  while  music  burst  forth  in  strains  of  victory,  triumph, 
and  peace.  This  pageant  is  a  sham  fight,  at  which  the  king  and  queen, 
with  the  royal  party  of  distinguished  guests,  lent  their  presence,  and 
vied  with  each  other  in  the  splendor  and  beauty  of  their  dress  and  equi- 
page. 

I  have  visited  the  New  Museum  since  writing  the  above.  It  is  a  noble 
monument  that  the  king  is  rearing  to  perpetuate  his  fame.  It  is  not  yet 
complete,  but  already  there  is  enough  to  show  how  grand  it  will  be  when 
finished.  The  building  is  beautiful  in  itself ;  but  it  is  only  the  shrine  to 
contain  the  immortal  productions  of  a  Kaulbach — frescoes  which,  for  con- 


52  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

ception,  grandeur,  and  beauty,  are  perfect  wonders  of  art.  In  the  centre 
of  the  building  is  the  grand  hall  of  entrance,  with  a  broad,  magnificent 
staircase,  lined  on  either  side  by  copies  of  the  Elgin  marbles  from  Athens, 
mounting  up  a  hundred  feet  to  the  very  roof,  through  the  liquid  clearness 
of  whose  glassy  covering  the  light  streams  down  upon  those  wonderful  fres- 
coes, each  of  which  must  be  some  twenty-five  feet  long  and  twenty  feet 
high.  The  first  represents  the  Tower  of  Babel  and  the  dispersion  of  the 
nations.  It  is  perhaps  the  best  of  the  whole.  Kaulbach  has  the  wonder- 
ful power  of  making  interesting  detached  groups  unite  in  one  grand  and 
striking  whole.  In  the  upper  part  of  the  picture  the  hosts  of  heaven  sur- 
round the  Lamb  as  he  stretches  his  hand  in  wrath  over  the  ruin  crumbling 
beneath.  In  the  centre,  on  one  of  the  terraces  of  the  temple,  sits  the 
proud  king,  his  idols  crumbling  around  him.  Fire  bursts  from  the  censer 
at  his  very  feet,  while  on  either  side  his  former  parasites  and  flatterers  are 
deriding  him.  Fierce  determination  sits  on  his  brow,  and  while  from  the 
walls,  crashing  and  falling  on  every  side,  terror-stricken  groups  are  esca- 
ping, he  will  not  move.  On  the  right,  meanwhile,  the  nations  are  going 
forth,  and  their  different  pursuits  are  indicated  by  their  banners,  arms,  or 
other  insignia.  Just  beneath  them  a  crowd  is  pursuing  tbe  poor  architect 
'of  the  temple,  who,  fallen  to  the  ground,  wraps  his  mantle  about  his  face, 
which  is  the  very  picture  of  agony,  and  dies  amid  the  shower  of  stones  and 
bricks  coming  from  every  side.  In  the  foreground  is  Monotheism,  repre- 
sented by  a  noble  patriarch,  surrounded  by  his  beautiful  family,  riding 
upon  a  huge  wagon  drawn  by  the  noblest  oxen  ever  painted.  The  sheep 
and  goats  follow  on  either  side,  nibbling  the  grass  or  sporting  around ; 
while  on  the  gentle  oxen  two  beautiful  children  ride,  playing  with  each 
other  as  they  eat  most  luscious  grapes.  Just  imagine  the  contrast  between 
this  magnificent  foreground  and  the  terror  and  dismay  on  every  side,  and 
you  form  a  slight  idea  of  this  wonderful  creation.  I  have  described  one. 
Please  imagine  five  other  pictures  of  like  size  and  grandeur,  representing 
the  Destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  Battle  of  the  Huns,  the  Crusades, 
Greece,  and  one  not  yet  complete,  and  you  Lave  some  idea  of  Kaulbach 
and  the  entrance  hall  to  the  New  Museum.  I  have  never  seen  its  like.  I 
hope  you  may  some  time  have  the  pleasure  I  enjoyed  yesterday.  But  I 
must  close  my  most  unsatisfactory  description,  and  ask  you  to  wait  for  me 
at  Rome. 

Upon  leaving  Berlin,  the  party  passed  through  Dres- 
den towards  Vienna,  and  their  visit  to  the  famous  gallery 
of  paintings  at  Dresden  and  the  "  Green  Room  "  of  the 
kingdom  of  Saxony  is  described  in  his  next  letter  with 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  53 

great  vivacity.     But  we  must  pass  these  by  and  hasten 
southward. 

Our  railroad  followed  the  Elbe,  which,  soon  after  leaving  Dresden, 
locks  itself  in  among  the  rocky  cliffs  of  the  so-called  Saxon  Switzerland. 
Here  is  to  be  found  the  finest  scenery  of  Germany.  ...  It  is  very  pecu- 
liar, owing  to  the  fact  that,  while  a  large  part  of  the  country  is  sandstone, 
which  you  know  is  soft,  and  quickly  yields  to  aqueous  agencies,  there  are 
basaltic  cliffs  continually  occurring,  too  stubborn  in  their  nature  to  be 
easily  washed  away.  Thus  there  are  deep  gorges,  or  isolated  peaks  like 
Konigstein,  which  have  no  high  land  within  several  hundred  feet.  This 
Konigstein  is  Saxony's  pride — her  Gibraltar.  It  is  fortified,  and  almost 
the  only  fortress  in  Europe  that  never  was  taken.  You  will  not  wonder  at 
its  strength  when  I  tell  you  that  it  is  surrounded  by  a  precipice  from  one 
to  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  that  the  only  ingress  is  through  a  gallery 
cut  in  the  living  rock,  with  drawbridges  so  arranged  that  when  removed  it 
is  impossible  for  man  to  reach  the  fortress.  There  is  a  well  six  hundred 
feet  deep  within,  and  here  are  stores  enough  to  last  for  years.  There  are 
fields  and  cattle,  and  even  a  forest  on  this  rugged  peak.  In  the  Thirty 
Years'  war  it  was  the  only  place  not  taken.  Napoleon  himself  found  it 
impregnable. 

The  scenery  grew  wilder  and  wilder  as  we  drew  nearer  to  the  land  of 
Bohemia,  and  there  was  a  certain  firmness  of  character  attaching  itself  to 
those  old  hills  that  must  have  rendered  it  a  fitting  home  for  the  warlike 
tribes  of  mountain  Asia  who  settled  here — of  Huss  and  Ziska,  with  their 
fierce  followers,  and  of  the  fierce  Libussa  and  her  maiden  warriors,  who 
in  earlier  times  held  sway  in  "  Boehm."  At  last  we  struck  the  Moldau 
and  its  broader  plains,  and  in  a  little  time  Prague  with  its  many  spires  and 
towers  glittered  beneath  the  setting  sun.  It  was  truly  a  splendid  sight  as 
we  rolled  over  that  long  bridge.  The  river  with  its  islands  and  bridges  ; 
the  crowded  Jews'  quarter  on  our  left,  bounded  by  gardens  and  factories ; 
and  on  the  right  the  palaces  of  Bohemian  princes,  formed  a  beautiful  pic- 
ture. 

How  strange  it  seems  to  stand  within  the  walls  where  Huss  lived,  to 
see  on  every  side  tokens  and  traces  of  the  man  who  centuries  ago  ignited 
a  train  which  brought  ruin  and  desolation  to  Prague's  proud  towers,  which 
drove  thirty  thousand  of  Prague's  forty  thousand  students  away  from  her 
famous  old  university,  and  ended,  I  was  about  to  say,  with  his  death  and 
the  peace  after  the  Hussite  war;  but  no!  it  is  still  felt;  it  shakes  the 
world  even  now,  and  will  till  the  end  of  time.  Here,  too,  is  the  famous 
bridge,  fourteen  hundred  feet  long,  and  ornamented  every  twenty  feet 
with  groups  of  the  quaintest  statuary,  where  in  the  Thirty  Years'  war  the 


54  ALL  FOR  CILRLST. 

university  students  withstood  the  Swedes  for  fourteen  weeks,  and  thus 
saved  Prague  from  its  enemies. 

After  describing  the  various  objects  of  interest  in 
this  city,  he  says  : 

In  searching  for  the  old  synagogue  we  were  separated  from  each  other, 

and  when  I  next  met  II and  F ,  some  four  hours  after,  they  told 

me  of  a  rather  odd  experience.  They  had  penetrated  into  a  narrow, 
crooked  street,  and  at  last  stumbled  upon  the  old  house  where  IIuss  once 
lived.  They  found  it  was  now  occupied  as  a  restaurant,  and  being  some- 
what hungry,  concluded  to  take  dinner  on  the  spot.  They  examined  the 
card,  and  called  for  what  they  supposed  was  roast  beef.  The  meat  came. 
\t  looked  very  inviting  ;  but  they  were  both  struck  with  its  peculiar  sweet- 
ish flavor,  and  when  nearly  through  eating,  on  examining  the  paper  more 
closely,  found  they  had  been  eating  roast  horse  !     Imagine  their  feelings  ! 

H smoked  most  vigorously  the  whole  afternoon,  and  F ate  apples, 

candy,  and  I  know  not  what,  to  keep  his  dinner  down.  Even  now  an  allu- 
sion to  the  subject  gives  rise  to  certain  peculiar  nervous  affections,  better 
imagined  than  described.  .  .  . 

Tired  and  cold  and  hungry,  we  entered  Vienna,  the  capital  of  Austria, 
and  its  pride  and  glory.  It  was  splendidly  lighted,  and  as  we  passed  to 
our  hotel,  all  was  bright  as  noonday.  I  liked  Vienna  very  much.  There 
is  a  life  and  bustle  about  the  streets  that  reminds  me  of  New  York  more 
than  any  place  I  have  seen  in  Europe.  The  shop-windows  are  very  fine 
indeed.  They  fairly  glitter  with  jewelry,  silks,  fine  pictures,  etc.  The 
streets  in  the  old  town,  where  the  nobility  and  royalty  have  their  residen- 
ces, are  very  narrow,  and  as  the  carriages  with  their  spirited  horses  go 
dashing  by,  you  are  in  peril  of  life  and  limb,  as  there  are  no  sidewalks. 
The  streets  are  very  clean  indeed,  and  the  contrast  to  New  York  in  this 
respect  (as  you  can  bear  testimony,  L )  is  considerable. 

The  church  of  St.  Stephen  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture. The  spire  is  very  tall  and  of  fine  proportions.  It  is  built  en- 
tirely of  stone,  and  with  its  graceful  little  turrets,  produces  a  grand  effect. 
We  mounted  up  through  the  long,  winding  staircase  till  we  came  to  the 
huge  bell,  that  was  cast  from  cannon  taken  from  the  Turks  at  their  mem- 
orable siege  of  Vienna.  It  is  perfectly  immense — twelve  and  a  half  feet 
high,  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  one  foot  thick,  and  some  forty  feet  in  cir- 
cumference !  It  weighs  four  hundred  tons,  and  is  rung  only  on  special 
occasions.  The  view  from  the  spire  is  very  fine.  The  old  city  lies  at  your 
feet,  surrounded  by  the  Glacis  with  its  gardens  and  fine  carriage  drives ; 
and  the  new  city,  with  barracks,  churches,  theatres,  palaces,  and  magazines, 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  55 

stretches  its  arms  on  every  s'de  around.  The  Prater,  some  three  or  four 
miles  square,  is  a  vast  park,  filled  with  magnificent  trees  and  drives.  .  .  . 

But  perhaps  the  most  unique  sight  of  all  was  the  vault  of  the  Church 
of  the  Capuchins.  Here  are  arranged  side  by  side  the  splendid  sarcopha- 
gi of  some  seventy  of  the  imperial  house  of  Hapsburgh.  Most  of  them 
are  of  bronze,  but  a  few  are  of  massive  silver.  That  of  Maria  Theresa  is 
the  finest.  It  is  oblong,  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  with  breadth  and 
length  in  proportion,  covered  with  fine  reliefs  representing  important 
events  in  her  history,  while  two  effigies  (of  her  husband  and  herself)  repose 
on  the  upper  surface.  Her  sixteen  children  lie  around  her.  Here,  too,  is 
bnried  Maria  Louise,  Napoleon's  wife,  as  well  as  his  son,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  loved  and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 

We  visited  on  the  Sabbath  the  Greek  church,  where  they  still  worship 
according  to  the  ancient  ritual.  The  singing,  or  rather  chanting,  was  pecu- 
liar, and  very  beautiful,  far  more  so  than  the  Roman-catholic ;  but  I  can- 
not now  stop  to  describe  it.  We  also  visited  the  mineralogical  museum  in 
the  palace.  It  contains  some  of  the  finest  specimens  in  the  world.  The 
collection  of  precious  stones  was  very  complete  and  beautiful,  as  well  as 
that  of  meteors,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world.  Some  of  these 
stones  were  picked  up  while  yet  warm  from  the  sky. 

We  were  struck  with  the  plainness  of  the  royal  equipages,  church- 
es, etc.  Nowhere  did  we  find  the  least  effort  to  make  display.  We  have 
been  most  happily  disappointed  in  Austria.  We  expected  to  be  con- 
tinually annoyed  as  to  our  passports  and  baggage.  So  far  from  this  being 
the  case,  a  man  can  now  travel  from  one  end  of  Austria  to  the  other  with- 
out showing  his  passport  at  all ;  and  from  all  I  could  see  and  learn,  Aus- 
tria is  at  present  ahead  of  Prussia  in  all  that  regards  the  liberty  of  the 
suojects. 

We  left  Vienna,  the  city  of  palaces  and  parks,  with  regrets,  and  turned 
our  faces  still  southward.     The  country  was  beautiful.  .  .  . 

But  our  most  surprising  experience  was  just  before  us — nothing  less 
than  crossing  the  Julian  Alps  by  railroad.  .  .  .  This  work  has  been  for  a 
long  time  in  progress,  and  was  not  completed  till  last  year.  The  highest 
elevation  attained  is  some  three  thousand  feet,  and  the  inclination  in  places 
seems  almost  as  great  as  that  of  a  house  roof.  It  was  absolutely  frightful 
to  see  a  train  descending  one  of  these  grades.  You  can  imagine  some  of 
the  difficulties  they  had  to  contend  with  in  building  this  road,  when  I  tell 
you  it  cost  $7,500,000  to  build  twenty-five  miles.  On  common  roads  in 
America,  the  same  distance  of  road  would  have  been  built  for  $400,000. 
It  seemed  so  strange  to  go  winding,  twisting  along  up  the  banks  of  a  tor- 
rent, now  on  this  side,  and  a  half  hour  hence  on  the  opposite  bank  a  hun- 
dred fe;t  higher.  The  scenery,  too,  was  absolutely  grand.  Mountains  cov- 
ered with  snow  surrounded  us  on  every  side,  and  with  every  turn  some 


56  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

new  scene  of  wildest  beauty  burst  upon  us.  Near  the  summit  we  passed 
a  peak  which  seemed  to  spring  unsupported  from  the  valley  below,  so 
wholly  was  it  disconnected  from  the  surrounding  peaks.  Its  summit  was 
covered  with  the  ruins  of  a  castle,  once  the  key  of  this  whole  country,  but 
now  completely  shattered  and  uninhabited,  the  result  of  lightning. 

How  beautifully,  too,  that  street,  with  its  neat  little  cottages  and  facto- 
ries, wound  around  the  base  through  the  narrow  pass,  (you  could  not  call 
it  a  valley,)  while  through  the  gigantic  frame  of  towering  peaks  you  looked 
out  over  the  beautiful  plain  and  glittering  spires  of  Gloggnitz.  In  a  mo- 
ment this  scene  was  snatched  from  our  eyes,  and  we  were  whirling  at  full 
speed  through  a  tunnel  one  mile  long.  It  took  some  five  minutes  to  pass 
through,  and  we  counted  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  gas  lights  with  which 
it  is  lighted.  A  factory  was  built  way  up  here  just  to  supply  it  with  gas. 
The  language,  too,  was  completely  changed,  and  the  peasants'  gibberish  we 
strove  in  vain  to  understand.  Their  vests  were  quite  peculiar,  being  orna- 
mented with  large  round  brass  buttons,  such  as  soldiers  sometimes  wear 
with  us,  as  thick  as  they  could  stand  down  the  whole  front. 

At  one  of  the  stations  we  had  rather  an  amusing  scene.  A  perfect 
crowd  of  the  aborigines  took  possession  of  our  car,  and  among  them  a 
laughing,  jolly,  old  woman,  loaded  with  basket  and  kettle,  which  took  up 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  passage.  Scarcely  had  we  started  before  she 
uncovered  her  kettle,  revealing  amid  the  fumes  of  charcoal  a  dish  of 
snaky-looking,  steaming  sausages,  which  she  was  ready  to  dispose  of  to 
the  highest  bidder.  She  had  scarcely  all  prepared,  before  the  scene 
changed.  Unluckily  for  her,  but  most  fortunately  for  our  eyes,  the  con- 
ductor entered  at  this  moment,  and  the  way  her  sausage-kettle  went  out  of 
the  door  was  a  caution  to  all  meat-pedlers.  The  conductor  was  very 
indignant,  and  we  all  supposed  he  had  thrown  the  kettle  overboard.  To 
our  great  amusement  we  saw  him,  some  fifteen  minutes  after,  busily 
devouring  its  contents  on  the  platform  just  outside  the  door. 

With  such  scenes  within,  and  the  ever-changing  grandeur  without,  the 
hours  did  not  seem  long,  although  we  rode  twelve  hours  to-day  and  some 
thirteen  yesterday.  It  seemed  so  strange  crossing  the  Drave  and  the 
Save,  those  famous  old  rivers  in  Roman  history,  along  whose  rocky  banks 
the  legions  so  o.'ten  penetrated  into  the  barbarous  regions  of  the  North. 
I  could  scarcely  realize  that  I  was  so  far  away  from  home,  amid  scenes 
wrapped  around  with  all  the  mist  of  boyhood  days  and  studies.  The  Save 
valley  is  peculiarly  wild  and  beautiful  ;  the  precipitous  cliffs  spring  up 
from  the  very  shore  of  the  stream,  and  the  bright,  blue,  clear  waters  foam 
and  rage  against  them.  Rafts  formed  of  hogsheads,  and  freighted  with 
gayly-dressed  peasants,  added  not  a  little  to  the  picturesque  character  of 
the  scene. 

As  we  approached  Trieste,  the  country  grew  fearfully  barren.     The 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  57 

peaks  were  desolate.  Not  a  tree,  scarcely  a  bit  of  moss,  served  to  cover 
the  nakedness  of  the  rocks;  but,  finally,  the  last  tunnel  was  passed,  and 
as  old  Sol  dipped  behind  the  Atlantic  wave,  lighting  up  those  snow-capped 
peaks  with  that  beautiful  rosy  tint  which  painters  love,  we  comn.enced  the 
steep  descent  to  the  blue  Adriatic  and  Trieste.  At  eight  o'clock  we  rest- 
ed our  weary  limbs  in  the  busy  mart  of  Austria,  with  its  broad  and  finely- 
paved  streets,  and  its  harbor  filled  with  sailing  craft.  I  was  surprised  to 
find  Trieste  so  busy  and  thriving.  It  is  now,  it  seems,  the  tenth  city  in 
the  world  in  its  commerce.  Indeed,  every  step  of  our  way  convinces  us  of 
the  increasing  greatness  of  Austria,  and  I  leave  this  country  with  very  dif- 
ferent feelings  from  those  with  which  I  entered  it.  Oh,  we  are  so  narrow- 
minded  and  prejudiced ;  and,  as  we  move  about  the  world,  we  every  day  learn 
that  everywhere  there  are  bad  and  good,  beautiful  and  homely,  just  and 
unjust,  tyrants  and  oppressed,  if  we  will  only  look  calmly  and  candidly 
around  us.  .  .  .  You  must  excuse  the  look  of  these  sheets,  as  I  have  writ- 
ten with  all  kinds  of  ink,  in  all  sorts  of  places,  and  with  all  manner  of 
feelings.  CHARLIE. 

Paris,  June,  1S5S. 

My  Dear  Friends:  ....  In  my  last  I  was  just  entering  Naples  cov- 
ered with  the  classic  dust  of  the  Campagna  and  the  Falernian  hills.  Na- 
ples was  all  and  more  than  I  had  imagined.  It  has  nearly  500,000  inhabi- 
tants, and  there  was  a  bustle  and  excitement  about  it  that  took  me  quite 
by  surprise  ;  the  carmen  and  sailors,  too,  are  very  noisy,  and  the  cracking 

whip  and  rattling  wheel  warn  you  that  things  move  in  Naples We 

concluded  to  visit  Virgil's  tomb.  It  is  on  the  side  of  a  limestone  cliff  that 
projects  over  the  road  on  one  side  and  into  the  sea  on  the  other,  and  di- 
rectly opposite  old  Vesuvius  itself.  Think  of  it!  this  lovely  spot,  looking 
out  over  the  most  lovely  bay  in  the  world,  was  the  spot  wdiere  Virgil  lived, 
where  he  wrote  a  large  part  of  the  /Eneid,  and  where,  having  completed 
his  immortal  poem,  he  laid  him  down  to  sleep,  for  he  can  never  die.  His 
tomb  is  a  large  square  building,  with  windows  and  a  door.  It  is  almost 
completely  covered  with  ivy.  Above  it  waves  a  laurel  which  Petrarch  is 
said  to  have  planted.  That  was  a  strange  place  to  me  ;  every  hill  and  tree 
and  island,  the  sea  itself,  the  very  wind,  told  me  of  the  great  poet.  Then 
behind  was  the  Cumean  promontory,  and  Lake  Avernus  with  its  dark 
groves,  yes,  and  the  Sibyl's  Cave.  There  was  Misenum.  Far  away  be- 
yond the  horizon  were  Scylla  and  Charybdis.  But  I  must  stop,  or  I  will 
say  foolish  things.  This  is  a  place  sacred  in  itself,  sacred  as  a  Mecca 
whither  thousands  of  the  great  and  good  have  for  centuries  made  pilgri- 
mages. 

The  next  morning  early  we  were  away  by  railroad  for  the  burning 
mount The  crater  itself  is  the  centre  of  a  steep  truncated  cone 


58  ALL  FOR  CLIRLST. 

which  it  has  formed  on  the  snmmit  of  the  mountain  ridge The  as- 
cent is  quite  rugged,  the  mountain  sides  are  covered  with  a  huge  stream 
cf  cold,  rough,  jagged  lava.  It  looks  like  a  stream  of  thick,  black  tar  that 
has  dried  and  cracked  in  thousands  of  forms  under  the  burning  sun.  We 
came  at  last  to  the  steep  itself.  First  we  tried  to  ascend  in  the  sand,  but 
really  one  step  up  was  two  back,  and  we  concluded  to  take  to  the  rough 
lava  again.  Here,  almost  on  all-fours,  you  could  clamber  up  perhaps  a 
hundred  steps,  and  then  sit  down  and  rest.  How  ladies  ever  walk  up  there 
I  can  hardly  imagine.  Most,  I  presume,  are  carried  up  in  a  chair,  (as  I 
saw  one  fat  old  priest  ascend,)  and  pay  for  their  ride  from  five  dollars  to 
ten  dollars,  according  to  their  skill  in  making  a  bargain. 

The  sight  that  presented  itself  as  we  reached  the  top  was  entirely  un- 
expected. A  large,  rough  plain  appeared,  with  cracks  running  through  it 
in  every  direction,  from  which  smoke  and  sulphurous  steam  poured  forth, 
while  the  rock  itself  was  so  hot  that  you  could  not  stand,  much  less  sit,  for 
a  moment.  We  felt  that  we  were  truly  walking  on  a  fiery  sea  as  we  hur- 
ried on  to  get  a  nearer  view  of  the  great  crater  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
distant.  Clouds  of  smoke  were  rolling  from  the  horrid  pit,  and  ever  and 
anon,  with  dreadful  groans  and  thundering  noise,  a  torrent  would  be 
thrown  far  up  into  the  sky. 

Two  or  three  of  us  went  down  to  the  brink  itself ;  but  while  we  were 
there  one  of  these  eruptions  took  place.  I  stood  it  very  well  till,  looking 
up  above  my  head,  I  saw  the  air  filled  with  red-hot  lava  directly  over  me. 
I  think  I  never  did  move  more  rapidly,  for,  almost  before  I  knew,  I  had 
jumped  down  and  was  on  the  other  side  twenty  feet  away.  F ,  un- 
conscious of  danger,  remained,  and  one  of  the  pieces  struck  his  shawl  and 
burnt  it  quite  badly.  We  dipped  a  few  coin  in  the  lava  as  souvenirs,  and 
then  beat  a  hasty  retreat  from  this  raging  heat. 

If  the  ascent  had  been  difficult,  we  were  rewarded  for  our  toil  by  the 
descent.  We  now  took  to  the  sand,  and  leaping  and  bounding  along  like 
so  many  wild  horses,  fairly  plunged  down  the  steep.  In  five  minutes  I 
was  at  the  bottom  of  this  cone,  that  three-quarters  of  an  hour's  hard  work 
had  scarcely  sufficed  to  ascend 

The  next  morning  we  concluded  on  a  trip  to  Pompeii,  Salerno,  and 
Psestum. 

Pompeii  has  not  its  like  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Buried  beneath  a 
shower  of  moist  ashes,  every  object  retained  its  original  position  and 
shape,  being  hermetically  sealed  up  about  the  time  of  Christ — to  astonish 
the  world  of  the  nineteenth  century.  So  many  feet  was  it  buried  that  its 
place  was  for  centuries  forgotten.  And  now  it  is  again  opened  to  the 
light  of  day;  and  as  we  walk  its  streets,  and  see  the  stores  and  houses, 
the  theatre,  temples,  and  forums,  yes,  and  maik  the  deep  ruts  in  the  pave- 


L  E  TTERS  FR  OM  ABR  OAD.  5  9 

m:nt,  we  can  but  believe  that  yesterday  Pompeii  fell.  The  old  Hippo- 
drome, or  amphitheatre,  is  the  most  perfect  ruin  I  have  seen.  There  were 
the  entrances  for  the  higher  and  lower  classes,  and  the  seats  rising  tier 
upon  tier  far  above  the  arena.  There,  too,  were  the  cells  in  which  the 
beasts  and  the  gladiators  themselves  were  placed,  ready  for  the  conflict, 
and  the  bloody  avenue  through  which  they  drew  the  dead  after  the  con- 
flict was  over.  All  was  there  ready,  and  we  almost  waited  for  the  .sleep- 
ing thousands  to  come  again  and  take  the  seats  they  filled  that  last  fatal 
day  when  Pompeii  was  blotted  out.  A  temple  in  the  midst  of  the  city 
attracted  our  attention.  It  was  dedicated  to  Iris,  and  there,  beneath  the 
floor,  was  the  well  in  which  the  victims  were  purified.  The  altar  still  re- 
mains, and  ashes  and  bones  were  found  upon  it.  A  statue  of  Hippocrates 
stood  in  the  wall,  with  his  finger  on  his  lips  enjoining  silence.  But  the 
most  interesting  spot  was  the  oracle  itself,  where,  behind  a  large  marble 
s'ab,  you  could  see  the  narrow  staircase  and  door  through  which  the 
priest  could  enter  into  the  statue  and  deliver  the  oracle  which  the  multi- 
tudes supposed  came  from  the  god  himself. 

The  private  houses  were  mostly  one,  rarely  two  stories  high.  Their 
walls  were  generally  frescoed,  and  many  of  the  pictures  are  as  fresh  as 
though  just  painted.  It  seemed  strange  enough  to  see  the  wine  jars 
standing  in  the  cellars,  and  the  machine  at  the  mills  ready  for  grinding, 
and  stranger  still,  to  find  coffee,  wheat,  beans,  figs,  and  nuts  perfectly 
preserved.  But  I  cannot  describe  what  requires  hours  for  even  the  most 
hasty  review.  Towards  evening  we  took  the  cars  again,  and  were  soon 
rolling  through  a  country  rich  in  historic  incident,  and  beautiful  enough, 
with  its  towering  hills  folded  in  fleecy  clouds  and  valleys  cultivated  like 
gardens,  to  made  another  Eden 

Bright  and  early  we  were  off  the  next  morning  for  Paestum.  Our 
carriage  seemed  an  ancient  chariot  of  victory,  as  we  drove  four  magnifi- 
cent horses  abreast  in  a  style  that  brought  back  classic  scenes  as  never 
before.  The  road  was  perfectly  level,  and  part  of  the  country  very  thinly 
inhabited.  Our  twenty-six  miles'  ride  was  accomplished  in  a  few  hours, 
and  we  stood  within  the  pillars  of  the  oldest  existing  temples  in  Italy, 
one  of  which  was  built  at  least  600  B.  C.  The  infallible  Murray  says 
that,  "  With  the  exception  of  those  of  Athens,  they  are  the  most  striking 
existing  records  of  the  genius  and  taste  which  inspired  the  architects  of 
Greece."  Paestum  was  an  old  Grecian  colony  founded  long  before  Rome. 
There  are  three  temples  remaining,  and  the  central  one  is  one  of  the  most 
simple,  yet  grand  and  beautiful  buildings  I  ever  saw.  The  columns  were 
short  and  thick,  but  the  broad  capital,  surmounted  by  a  cornice  in  pro- 
portion, made  this  appropriate.  The  facade  was  very  simple  in  its  orna- 
ments, but  the  whole  building,  while  easily  comprehended,  produced  the 
effect  desired  and  contrasted  finely  enough  with  the  huge  Basilica  adjoin- 


Go  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

ing,  with  its  hundred  pillars  and  toilsome  architecture.  Those  were 
strange  old  ruins  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  flowery  meadows,  with 
scarce  a  habitation  of  man  for  miles  away.  We  wandered  around,  find- 
ing vaults  and  ruined  walls  here  and  there,  and  endeavored  in  the  tangled 
grass  and  weeds  to  trace  the  line  of  ancient  fortifications  that  once  sur- 
rounded the  city. 

One  of  our  company  sprained  his  foot  sadly,  and  as  we  had  offered 
sacrifices,  viz.,  sacrificed  an  excellent  collation  to  our  hungry  stomachs  in 
the  very  sanctum  sanctorum,  we  reluctantly  tore  ourselves  away  and  re- 
turned north  again. 

Our  southernmost  point  was  reached,  and  in  the  long  vista  that 
stretched  before  us,  we  saw  Naples,  Florence,  Switzerland,  Paris,  Lon- 
don, and  last,  not  least,  Home.  The  sun  had  long  been  set,  when,  tired 
out,  we  entered  Naples.  In  fact,  we  had  accomplished  a  pretty  good 
day's  work — 56  miles  by  carriage  and  nearly  as  much  more  in  the  cars. 
Our  invalid  was  soon  safely  stored  away,  and  in  a  few  days  was  moving 
around  again  as  usual. 

The  next  Monday  was  devoted  to  the  valuable  museum  here,  especial- 
ly interesting  in  the  treasures  gathered  from  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii, 
and  other  ancient  cities.  I  found  my  pride  in  our  great  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury considerably  humbled,  when  I  saw  that  two  thousand  years  ago  they 
possessed  nearly  every  article  of  convenience  or  luxury  of  which  we  can 
boast.  Planes,  hoes,  shovels,  edged-tools  of  all  kinds,  glass-ware  in  every 
variety ;  kitchen-ranges  furnished  in  a  style  that  would  make  a  Parisian 
cook's  eyes  glisten  from  their  perfection  and  variety.  But  in  the  higher 
arts  they  were  also  proficient,  and  in  a  case  of  silver  instruments  belong- 
ing to  a  physician  of  Pompeii,  was  found  a  peculiar  kind  of  forceps,  the 
exact  copy  of  one  that  was  patented  in  England  a  few  years  since  as  a 
most  valuable  invention 

I  was  much  interested  too  in  the  old  manuscripts  that  were  found  in 
Pompeii,  and  especiallly  in  the  very  ingenious  manner  in  which  they  are 
unrolled.  For  many  years  no  one  could  imagine  what  those  little  black 
masses  of  charcoal  could  be.  Under  a  powerful  microscope  the  truth 
was  revealed,  and  since  then  philosophers  have  been  all  alert  to  discover 
the  treasures  thus  concealed,  and  unroll  the  charred  mass  without  destroy- 
ing the  characters.  This  had  at  last  been  most  ingeniously  accomplished, 
and  several  books  have  been  deciphered,  although  the  process  is,  of  ne- 
cessity,  exceedingly  slow  and  tedious, 

I  fear  you  will  weary  with  my  long  delay  in  Naples  ;  but  I  cannot  close 
without  giving  you  a  short  account  of  our  visit  to  Lake  Avernus,  Solfater- 
ra,  etc.  Early  in  the  morning  we  took  carriage,  and  were  soon  rattling 
through  the  famous  old  tunnel  leading  out  of  Naples  through  "Virgil's 
promontory."    It  is  at  least  half  a  mile  in  length,  and  yet  nothing  is  known 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  Gr 

of  its  construction.  It  was  in  existence  hundreds  of  years  ago,  as  it  is 
described  by  Pliny  and  others;  but  it  was  much  smaller  then,  and  you  can 
see  where  the  hubs  of  the  wheels  once  rubbed  against  the  wall  high  up  on 
the  side.  It  is  miserably  ventilated,  and  we  were  almost  stifled  from  dust 
and  stench  as  we  rolled  along  through.  We  soon  came  to  Solfaterra,  the 
crater  of  an  old  volcano.  It  still  fumes  a  little,  and  in  119S  quite  a  torrent 
of  lava  poured  down  its  sides  into  the  sea.  To  reach  it  we  passed  through 
Pozzuoli,  the  once  famous  post  Puteoli,  where  Paul  landed  on  his  event- 
ful journey  to  Rome;  and  we  mounted  up  the  same  steep  hill,  by  the  same 
Appian  way  he  once  walked. 

A  short  distance  hence  is  the  famous  temple  of  Jupiter  Serapis, 
which  may  well  be  called  a  geological  chronometer,  and  which  has  excited 
more  attention  and  speculation  from  learned  men  than  perhaps  any  other 
existing  ruin.  It  consists  of  a  fine  large  open  court,  surrounded  by  walls 
of  marble,  and  in  the  centre  are  three  fine  marble  pillars,  each  some  forty 
feet  high,  and  cut  from  one  piece  of  marble.  The  floor  is  now  entirely 
covered  with  water  to  the  depth  of  some  three  or  four  feet,  and  the  whole 
building  is  gradually  sinking  into  the  sea  at  the  rate  of  perhaps  an  inch 
yearly.  Twice  before  has  it  sunk  in  this  way,  and  then  again  risen  to  its 
former  level.  These  changes  can  be  traced  on  the  pillars  as  at  each 
descent  they  have  been  pierced  by  the  sea-borers,  which  have  left  their 
marks  as  high  as  the  water  rose.  Just  beyond  is  Mount  Nuovo,  which  is 
very  interesting  from  the  fact  that  it  has  entirely  risen  within  the  historic 
period.  It  was  formed  in  three  days,  and  is  about  fourteen  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, and  some  five  hundred  feet  high !  The  ashes  from  the  erup- 
tion were  carried  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  You  could  hardly  imagine 
that  a  spot  so  blooming  with  vegetation  as  this  beautiful  conical  hill  could 
ever  have  been  the  scene  of  such  fiery  visitation.  Ruins  are  here  on  every 
side,  so  many  that  the  land  cannot  hold  them,  and  beneath  the  sea  you  can 
trace  the  streets  and  temples  of  bygone  days. 

The  most  beautiful  spot  in  Italy,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  voluptuous 
Romans  filled  every  nook  with  their  marble  palaces.  All  the  great  and 
learned  of  Rome  had  their  villas  here. 

But  the  interest  in  all  these  fades,  for  we  are  approaching  the  Aver- 
nian  gulf  and  the  awful  cave  of  the  Sibyl.  Lake  Avernus,  with  its  beau- 
tiful shaded  banks,  is  really  not  such  an  awful  place,  and  to  tell  the  truth, 
I  saw  a  good  many  birds  fly  over  the  placid  surface  with  perfect  impunity. 
Yet  it  did  seem  a  little  bordering  on  the  marvellous  to  see  stones  floating 
on  its  surface.  I  could  hardly  believe  my  eyes,  and  taking  a  stone,  hurled 
it  far  out  into  the  lake,  where  it  danced  about  like  a  duck.  The  enigma 
was  solved  when  I  took  the  stone  in  my  hand.  It  was  lava  pumice,  some- 
thing like  glass  slag,  very  porous  and  light.  We  now  lit  our  torches  and 
made  ready  to  enter  the  cave  of  the  Sibyl.  ...    At  last  we  came  to  a  little 

6 


62  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

side  passage,  where,  on  account  of  the  water,  it  was  necessary  to  mount 
the  guide's  back,  if  you  would  reach  the  cave  itself.  The  rushing  of  the 
waters  against  the  sides  of  the  cave  sounded  in  the  pitchy  darkness  truly 
infernal ;  and  when  the  voices  reverberated  through  the  passages,  it 
seemed  as  if  old  Cerberus  himself  was  loose.  It  was  really  quite  a 
relief  to  get  back  into  daylight  and  pure  air.  .  .  .  Delighted  with  our 
excursion,  we  returned  just  at  sunset  along  the  magnificent  road  that  skirts 
the  cliff  high  above  the  bay.  It  is  lined  with  fine  villas,  many  of  them 
romanticly  situated,  with  crooked,  winding  paths  and  roads  along  the 
cliffs  to  their  portals.  And  then  the  blue,  blue  sea,  with  gay-colored  craft, 
and  beyond,  Naples  glittering  in  the  setting  sun,  while  above  them  all 
rose  Vesuvius,  with  his  forehead  wreathed  in  mystic  vapors.  As  I  looked 
on  that  scene  I  did  not  wonder  that  the  passionate  Italian  loved  Naples, 
even  though  it  seems  built  in  a  crater  itself,  and  exposed  any  moment  to 
destruction.  Indeed,  since  our  visit,  the  very  path  by  which  we  ascended 
has  been  swept  away,  and  the  fiery  torrents  are  rolling  again  into  the  plain 
from  five  or  six  new  craters.  .  . . 

Our  stay  in  Florence  was  comparatively  short,  yet  it  was  long  enough 
to  teach  us  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  cities  of  Europe  for  a  resi- 
dence. The  city  itself  is  neat  and  clean,  the  streets  broad  and  fine,  and 
almost  entirely  free  from  beggars,  while  one  can  live  extremely  cheap.  It 
cost  us  only  one  dollar  a  day  at  the  hotel,  and  we  were  as  well  provided 
for  as  any  man  could  wish.  The  country  around  Florence  is  full  of  splen- 
did drives  and  views.  One  can  best  appreciate  the  beauty  of  its  location 
from  the  summit  of  the  Campanile. . . .  This  Campanile  is  famous  in  archi- 
tecture, being  considered  by  many  (Ruskin  among  the  number)  as  a  most 
perfect  piece  of  architecture,  almost  the  most  perfect  extant.  It  belongs 
to  the  cathedral,  although  it  stands  a  few  feet  from  it,  and  is  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  it.  It  is  seven  stories  high,  and  each  story  differs  from  its 
neighbor.  The  work  in  many  parts  is  exquisitely  beautiful,  fine  enough 
for  a  lady's  flower-stand. 

But  Florence  has  yet  higher  claims  in  the  magnificent  collections  of 
fine  arts  she  has  gathered.  Here  is  the  world-renowned  Pitti  Palace,  and 
here  I  found  that  gem  of  paintings,  copies  of  which  I  have  seen  a  thou- 
sand times,  Raphael's  Madonna  and  child,  with  John  the  Baptist  stand- 
ing at  her  knee.  It  is  a  small  oval  painting ;  but  there  is  an  ease  and 
grace  about  the  mother  as  she  sits  with  her  child  in  her  arms,  and  a  deli- 
cate harmonious  blending  of  color  in  the  whole  that  I  cannot  describe — but 
to  me  makes  it  one  of  the  most  perfect  of  pictures.  And  this  is  but  one 
of  a  thousand  ;  for  the  whole  upper  story  of  this  magnificent  palace  is 
devoted  to  pictures,  and  most  of  them  from  the  most  famous  pencils  of 
history.  Here,  too,  are  some  splendid  specimens  of  Florentine  mosaics. 
Among  them  is  a  table  covered  with  fruit,  vines,  and  flowers,  most  exquis- 


LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD.  63 

itely  wrought,  and  so  perfect  that  you  could  almost  take  them  in  your 
hands.  You  can  imagine  the  time  and  pains  necessary  for  its  construc- 
tion when  I  tell  you  it  cost  some  $40,000. 

There  is  here  too  another  equally  famous  collection  of  paintings  in 
the  Uffizi.  I  spent  most  of  the  few  hours  I  could  here  bestow  in  the  Trib- 
une, where  are  collected  the  gems  not  only  of  painting  but  of  sculpture. 
Here  is  the  world-renowned  Venus  de1  Medici  as  well  as  the  Wrestlers, 
Apollo  and  the  Whetter.  I  suppose  it  is  very  presumptuous  in  me,  but 
I  never  can  like  the  Venus.  The  body  and  limbs  are  almost  faultless  in 
their  execution,  and  are  truly  beautiful;  but  the  arms  and  hands,  by  their 
awkward  position,  mar  the  whole.  They  are  stiff  and  unnatural,  and  the 
wrists  seem  too  long.  I  have  always  felt  this  in  the  copies,  and  it  is  no 
better  in  the  original.  But  it  is  almost  wicked  to  find  fault  in  such  a 
sacred  place,  for  here  are  gathered  the  St.  John  of  Raphael,  the  Loves  of 
Titian,  the  Sibyl  of  Guercino — in  fact  one  masterpiece  from  each  of  the 
famous  masters  of  antiquity.  The  room  is  worthy  of  the  gems  it  contains. 
The  ceiling  is  of  mother-of-pearl,  its  floor  of  precious  marbles  of  varied 
hues ;  the  hangings  of  the  doors  of  crimson  velvet,  and  the  furnishing  of 
the  whole  in  the  same  style  of  grand  yet  simple  beauty.  The  frame  is 
fine,  but  it  is  the  pictures  that  command  our  reverence  in  spite  of  all  other 
attractions.  .  .  . 

The  next  morning  we  visited  the  Westminster  Abbey  of  Italy — the 
Church  of  Santa  Croce,  famous  for  the  noted  dead  who  are  buried  there. 
Here  are  the  tombs  of  Michael  Angelo,  Dante,  Alfiero,  Galileo,  Macchia- 
velli,  and  a  host  of  others.  It  is  a  fine  church,  with  its  monuments  and 
beautiful  pictures  and  dome.  I  was  happily  disappointed  in  Pisa.  It  is 
one  of  the  gems  of  Italy,  so  quaint  and  unique  in  the  architecture  of  its 
famous  tower  and  cathedral.  I  know  not  how,  but  I  had  previously 
formed  the  idea  that  the  tower  leaned  on  account  of  some  accident,  but 
when  I  came  to  see  the  cathedral  the  whole  was  explained.  No  two  pil- 
lars, capitals,  entablatures,  facades,  or  cornices,  were  alike.  One  part 
was  higher  than  another,  and  arches  with  unequal  legs  abounded.  This 
was  the  most  elaborate  Corinthian,  that  the  sternest,  simplest  Doric.  It 
is  truly  a  miracle  of  art,  and  I  cannot  conceive  how  any  human  genius 
could  make  so  great  irregularities,  yes,  almost  deformities,  into  one  grand 
whole.  Yet  this  is  the  case ;  and  as  you  take  the  whole  in  at  one  view 
scarcely  one  of  these  peculiarities  strikes  you.  It  is  only  when  you  ex- 
amine it  in  detail  that  they  appear  to  amuse  and  astonish.  The  tower  is 
built  on  the  same  principle,  and  as  you  study  it,  you  can  see  where  the 
nicest  calculations  have  been  made  to  counterbalance  the  unnatural  incli- 
nation. We  ascended  to  the  summit,  where  we  had  one  of  the  grandest 
views,  stretching  away  up  into  the  Alps  on  one  side,  to  the  Pyrenees  on 
another,  and  to  the  Mediterranean  on  the  other.     It  was  really  frightful 


64  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

to  look  over  the  railing  and  see  how  much  the  building  varied  from  the 
perpendicular. 

Delighted  with  our  Pisa  visit  we  turned  our  faces  toward  that  dreaded 
Mediterranean.  Fortunately,  the  night  was  calm  and  beautiful,  and  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  amid  the  crowing  and  cackling  of  innumerable 
fowl  that  covered  our  deck,  we  entered  the  port  of  Genoa.  I  could  not 
sleep,  so  I  walked  the  deck  and  looked  at  the  same  hills,  yes,  and  count- 
ed the  same  bright  constellations  that  four  hundred  years  ago  greeted 
the  humble  Genoa  pilot,  the  far-famed  discoverer  of  my  own  dear  native 
land.  What  changes  since  then!  The  land  that  to  him  was  a  possibility 
is  to  me  to-night  a  bright,  living  reality;  and  the  dreams  and  visions  that 
visited  his  pillow  here,  drawing  him  forth  on  his  adventurous  journey, 
are  fulfilled.  I  cannot  sleep,  but  visions  fair  and  beautiful  draw  me  tow- 
ards the  same  West,  the  same  golden  end.  May  God  grant  them  fulfilment 
in  his  own  good  time.     Till  then,  farewell. 

LHARLIE. 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LAB  OF.  65 


CHAPTER  III. 

HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR. 

The  field  of  work  to  which  Mr.  Payson  was  called 
soon  after  he  returned  from  Europe,  and  in  which  he 
continued  to  labor  all  his  life,  was  in  some  respects  pecu- 
liar. Its  relations  to  the  church  were  anomalous.  No 
name  has  yet  been  found  by  which  it  can  be  truthfully 
represented  in  the  records  of  the  Presbyterian  body. 
The  duties  of  a  pastor  in  this  field  are  those  of  every 
Christian  minister,  and  are  simple  and  familiar,  but  the 
position  which  he  occupies  is  unparalleled,  and  no  official 
recognition  of  it  upon  the  records  of  the  church  has  yet 
seemed  possible.*  The  following  terse  and  clear  descrip- 
tion of  the  general  features  of  the  work  has  been  kindly 
furnished  by  the  Rev.  Howard  Crosby,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
and  will  be  found  especially  valuable  to  those  who  are 
not  acquainted  with  the  field  : 

MISSIONS  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY. 
"  The  city  of  New  York,  with  over  a  million  of  inhab- 
itants, nearly  the  half  of  whom  are  foreign  born,  has 
long  presented  an  interesting  problem  to  the  church  of 
Christ  in  the  matter  of  its  evangelization.  The  churches 
of  the  city  conserve  and  foster  piety  among  their  members 
and  their  families,  but  in  their  own  regular  services  make 
no  direct  impression  upon  the  vast  numbers  who  never 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  A. 


66  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

enter  a  church.  The  New  York  City  Mission  has  labor- 
ed for  nearly  a  half  century  to  meet  this  want,  and  by  its 
mission-stations  in  destitute  quarters  has  done  much. 
It  now  has  four  churches  fully  organized,  under  its  care, 
besides  its  numerous  mission  stations,  where  much  fruit 
is  rewarding  its  wise  and  energetic  labors. 

"  Not  many  years  ago,  the  different  denominations  of 
Protestant  Christians  began  to  work  on  the  unevangelized 
masses  in  the  city  by  denominational  societies,  establish- 
ing and  supporting  denominational  missions  and  churches, 
thus  leaving  the  "  City  Mission  and  Tract  Society"  more 
largely  to  be  supported  by  Presbyterians. 

"  These  denominational  societies  have  done  an  ear- 
nest work.  The  Methodist  Society  has  established  six- 
teen churches  and  chapels,  of  which  one  has  become 
self-sustaining  and  independent.  The  Baptist  Society 
has  established  five  churches,  all  still  dependent  upon  it 
for  support.  The  Episcopal  Society  has  organized  no 
churches,  but  has  established  seven  chapels. 

"  A  third  form  in  which  general  city  evangelization 
has  been  carried  on,  is  by  the  effort  of  individual 
churches,  the  Baptists  having  two  missions  of  this  char- 
acter, the  Episcopalians  seventeen,  and  the  Presbyterians 
ten.  This  form  of  the  work  has  these  advantages. 
i.  The  members  of  a  particular  church  become  person- 
ally interested  in  the  work.  2.  They  are  ready,  there- 
fore, to  contribute  to  the  full  support  of  the  work.  3. 
The  wants  of  the  work  are  fully  known  to  them,  and  the 
supply  of  these  wants  becomes  a  natural  action  of  the 
church  life.     4.   The  missions  thus  created  furnish  an 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  67 

admirable  field  of  labor  where  the  church  members  are 
strengthened  in  their  graces. 

"  While  the  ultimate  hope  regarding  these  missions 
is  that  they  may  become  independent  churches,  yet  the 
difficulties  in  the  way  have  not  thus  far  been  surmount- 
ed. The  chief  difficulty  is,  the  inability  of  the  members 
worshipping  at  these  missions  to  furnish  pecuniary  sup- 
port for  the  sustentation  of  independent  churches.  To 
the  question,  '  Why  do  not  the  parent  churches  furnish 
the  means  ?'  the  answer  is,  that  if  these  mission  churches 
be  cut  off  from  the  parent  church,  the  special  interest  of 
the  parent  church  fails,  the  members  seeking  other  fields 
of  labor,  into  which  they  throw  their  strength.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  reason  why  the  mission  church  cannot 
support  itself  pecuniarily,  is  in  the  fact  that  as  its  mem- 
bers become  increased  in  wealth,  they  naturally  gravitate 
to  other  parts  of  the  city,  and  become  connected  with 
other  churches.  New  York  i3  so  built,  that  the  poorer 
classes  are  geographically  separated  from  the  richer 
classes,  a  fact  which  makes  the  mission  problem  pecu- 
liarly difficult.  It  is  this  fact  that  also  prevents  the 
members  of  parent  churches  from  going  to  the  mission 
churches  and  casting  in  their  lot  with  them,  thus  ena- 
bling them  to  bear  the  pecuniary  burden  of  self-support. 
It  might  be  added,  that  it  would  be  doubtful  whether  the 
children  of  a  family  that  may  be  brought  up  away  from 
evil  sights  and  sounds,  should  be  exposed  to  the  contam- 
ination of  degraded  parts  of  the  city,  as  would  be  the 
case  if  such  a  family  should  cast  in  its  lot  with  one  of  the 
mission  churches. 


68  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

"  It  is  true  that  some  of  these  missions  are  not  in 
degraded  quarters,  and  of  the  future  independency  of 
these  there  is  a  fairer  expectation. 

"  The  Rev.  Charles  H.  Payson  was  one  of  the  most 
devoted  laborers  in  this  mission  field  that  our  city  ever 
saw.  With  sound  judgment,  indefatigable  industry, 
quenchless  zeal,  administrative  ability,  sympathetic  soul 
and  fine  pulpit  talents,  he  for  seventeen  years  presided 
over  the  Third  Avenue  Mission  of  the  Madison  Square 
Presbyterian  Church,  receiving  the  hearty  and  liberal  aid 
of  that  efficient  church.  Under  his  ministry  the  mis- 
sion became,  in  everything  but  self-support,  a  strong  and 
useful  church,  sending  forth  its  blessed  influences  in 
every  direction  in  that  important  part  of  the  city.  He 
so  taught  the  people  to  give,  that  they  were  able  to  raise 
from  $4,000  to  $5,000  a  year  among  themselves.  This 
has  been  a  mission  church  raised  in  the  best  neighbor- 
hood and  under  the  very  best  auspices,  and  yet  its  self- 
support  is  at  present  impossible.  Under  wise  manage- 
ment, we  may  ere  long  see  this  consummation  reached. 

"But  now  take  another  instance  at  the  other  end 
of  the  line.  Grace  Mission  of  the  Fourth  Avenue  Pres- 
byterian Church  is  situated  in  Twenty-second  street, 
near  First  avenue,  a  neighborhood  pronounced  by  the 
police  captain  of  the  precinct  in  1866,  when  the  mission 
was  founded,  one  of  the  worst  in  the  city.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Cummings,  a  most  able  and  laborious  minister,  who 
was  pastor  of  the  mission,  has  testified  that  it  must 
always  remain  a  dependent  chapel,  because  (as  we  have 
before  stated)  of  the  removal  of  its  members  to  more 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  69 

central  churches,  as  soon  as  their  personal  reform  and 
Christian  progress  have  raised  them  in  the  scale  of  society. 
In  this  way  not  only  the  money  is  taken  away,  but  also 
the  material  out  of  which  to  make  the  church  officers. 
It  seems  then  that  in  New  York  we  must  expect  to  have 
this  anomalous  mission  system  as  a  necessity,  only  now 
and  then,  under  most  advantageous  circumstances,  a 
chapel  of  this  sort  becoming  an  independent  church. 

In  point  of  fact  these  mission  churches  act  like  inde- 
pendent churches.  They  have  their  own  pastor,  their 
own  communion  seasons,  their  own  auxiliary  societies; 
the  only  points  of  contact  with  the  parent  church  being 
in  the  sessional  action  at  the  reception  of  members,  and 
in  the  Sunday-school  work  of  the  members  of  the  parent 
church. 

"  The  appointment  of  the  pastor  is  made  by  the  ses- 
sion, according  to  the  wishes  of  the  actual  workers  in  the 
field.  Of  course  there  is  no  installation  or  recognized 
ecclesiastical  connection ;  and  perhaps  here  is  a  point  (a 
matter  mostly  of  name,  however)  which  should  be  regu- 
lated in  a  judicious  way,  so  that  every  body  of  Christians 
worshipping  together  and  their  virtual  pastor,  may  ap- 
pear before  the  churches  in  their  true  light. 

"  In  a  memorial  of  Charles  H.  Payson,  this  sketch  is 
appropriately  placed  as  indicating  the  wide  and  impor- 
tant field  to  which  he  gave  the  flower  and  strength  of  his 
life.  No  one  knew  all  the  merits  of  the  mission  question 
in  New  York  better  than  he,  and  no  one  has  done  more 
to  inspire  courage  and  faith  in  his  fellow-laborers. 

"  He  now  rests  from  his  labors,  and  his  works  do  fol- 


70  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

low  him.  Through  all  ages  will  results  testify  to  the 
faithfulness  of  this  man  of  God,  and  in  the  history  of 
the  evangelization  of  this  great  and  wicked  city,  no  name 
will  shine  brighter  than  that  of  Charles  H.  Payson." 

The  special  field  in  which  Mr.  Payson  labored  was  the 
Third  Avenue  branch  of  the  Madison  Square  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  The  following  outline  of  its  early  history  is 
taken  mostly  from  the  official  records  of  the  chapel  as 
prepared  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hough,  its  first  pastor. 

In  the  autumn  of  1856  it  was  determined  by  several 
members  of  the  Madison  Square  Church  to  attempt  the 
establishment  of  a  Mission  Sabbath-school.  Some  steps 
towards  the  accomplishment  of  this  end  had  been  taken 
in  the  fall  of  the  preceding  year  through  the  influence 
of  a  benevolent  lady  then  living  in  West  Thirty-fifth 
street.  A  few  scholars  were  gathered  in  the  basement 
of  her  own  house,  but  the  place  soon  becoming  too 
straitened  for  the  numbers  in  attendance  it  was  deter- 
mined to  put  the  work  under  the  care  of  the  Madison 
Square  Church.  It  was  found  that  the  district  lying 
east  of  Third  Avenue  between  Fourteenth  and  Fifty-fourth 
streets  was  not  provided  for  by  any  Presbyterian  church 
or  chapel,  and  the  work  was  accordingly  transferred  to 
this  locality.  A  rough  uncomfortable  room,  which  du- 
ring week-days  was  used  as  a  carpenter  shop,  was  obtained 
upon  the  north  side  of  Twenty-ninth  street  east  of  Third 
avenue.  Mr.  James  Morris  was  elected  superintendent, 
and  Mr.  Theodore  Morris  librarian.  The  first  scholars 
were  mostly  wild,  unmanageable  children,  who,  upon,  the 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  71 

first  and  second  Sabbaths,  tore  up  and  destroyed  many 
of  the  Bibles  and  singing-books,  rendering  the  presence 
of  a  policeman  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  even 
tolerable  order.  Mr.  Theodore  J.  Holmes  became  con- 
nected with  the  school  in  December  as  secretary  and 
visitor  ;  Mr.  J.  W.  Hough  as  visitor  in  January,  1857. 

On  the  first  Sabbath  in  February  the  school  was 
removed  to  the  public  school  building  in  Twenty-seventh 
street.  The  seats  were  uncomfortable  and  the  room  ill- 
adapted  for  Sunday-school  purposes,  yet  a  great  gain 
was  thus  secured  upon  the  arrangements  in  Twenty- 
ninth  street.  In  April  Mr.  Morris  died,  and  in  May  Mr. 
William  E.  Dodge,  Jr.,  was  elected  superintendent.  Two 
sessions  of  the  Sunday-school  were  held,  one  in  the 
morning  and  one  in  the  afternoon  ;  but  it  was  found 
after  some  experience  that  the  classified  session  in  the 
afternoon  was  impracticable  on  account  of  the  difficulty 
in  providing  teachers.  Accordingly  this  was  changed 
in  October  to  a  "  boys'  and  girls'  meeting,"  at  which 
the  time  was  chiefly  occupied  in  singing  and  general  ex- 
ercises. 

On  Sabbath  morning,  Jan.  10,  1858,  the  school  took 
possession  of  the  new  and  commodious  chapel  which  had 
been  erected  by  the  Madison  Square  Church  on  Third 
avenue  between  Thirtieth  and  Thirty -first  streets.  On 
the  following  Sabbath  evening,  January  17,  was  held  the 
first  church  service  for  adults.  Mr.  Hough  supplied  the 
pulpit  from  March  7,  1858,  till  May  1,  1859,  performing 
the  duties  of  a  pastor  at  the  same  time.  A  prayer-meet- 
ing was  also  organized  by  the  aid  of  several  young  men 


72  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

from  the  Madison  Square  Church.  The  first  morning 
service  was  held  Oct.  17,  1858.  About  one  hundred 
were  present,  the  majority  being  children  from  the 
school.  The  morning  congregation  seldom  reached 
more  than  one  hundred ;  the  evening  congregation 
steadily  increased  from  one  hundred  to  about  three 
hundred ;  and  the  prayer-meeting  ranged  from  thirty  to 
sixty.  Meanwhile  the  Sunday-school  continued  to  pros- 
per. During  the  summer  of  1858  it  was  placed  under 
the  care  of  Mr.  Theodore  J.  Holmes,  who  succeeded  in 
holding  about  two  hundred  in  regular  attendance.  A 
Young  Men's  Bible  Class,  was  formed  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Mr.  Spencer  W.  Coe,  which  was  afterwards  di- 
vided and  a  portion  given  to  Mr.  George  W.  Lane. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  William  E.  Dodge,  Jr., 
Mr.  Nason  B.  Collins  officiated  in  his  place  till  May  3, 
i860,  when  Mr.  David  Wetmore  was  elected  superinten- 
dent and  from  that  time  till  this  he  has  performed  the 
arduous  duties  of  that  position  with  a  zeal  and  faithful- 
ness which  are  above  praise. 

Mr.  Hough  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist  at  the 
Madison  Square  Church  by  the  Fourth  Presbytery  of 
New  York,  Sabbath  evening,  March  13,  1859.  "  &  not 
being  thought  best  to  organize  a  distinct  church,  steps  were 
taken  to  bring  together  those  from  the  Mission  Chapel  con- 
gregation who  desired  churcli  membership  as  members  of 
the  Madison  Square  Church  worsJiipping  at  the  Mission 
Chapel,  with  power  to  receive  additions  to  their  number 
and  to  observe  the  ordinances  of  the  church  at  the  chapel."* 

*  These  are  the  precise  words  of  the  official  record. 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  73 

Accordingly  the  session  of  the  Madison  Square  Church 
met  at  the  chapel,  Saturday  evening,  March  12,  1859, 
when  twelve  candidates  were  examined  and  accepted, 
three  being  also  received  by  letter.  At  a  second  meet- 
ing held  on  Wednesday  evening,  March  16,  six  other 
candidates  were  examined  and  received.  On  Sabbath 
evening,  March  20,  1859,  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  administered  for  the  first  time.  Twenty- 
one  persons  were  received  into  membership.  The  nu- 
cleus of  the  present  organization  was  thus  formed. 

May  17,  i860,  Mr.  Hough  left  for  a  vacation  of  six 
weeks,  hoping  thus  to  recruit  his  exhausted  strength. 
But  finding  still  farther  rest  necessary  he  tendered  his 
resignation,  which  was  accepted. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Mr  Payson,  who  had  supplied 
the  pulpit  during  the  temporary  absence  of  Mr.  Hough, 
was  invited  to  take  his  place,  and  accepted  the  call.  He 
was  ordained  as  an  evangelist  at  the  Chapel,  Sabbath 
evening,  Nov.  25,  i860,  by  the  Fourth  Presbytery  of 
New  York.  The  large  and  pleasant  room  was  filled  by 
an  eager  and  attentive  audience,  a  great  proportion  being 
composed  of  regular  attendants  upon  the  Sabbath 
services. 

The  opening  exercises  were  conducted  by  the  Mod- 
erator, Rev.  James  H.  Dwight,  and  the  sermon  preached 
by  Rev.  George  L.  Prentiss,  D.  D.,  now  Professor  in  the 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  and  formerly  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Covenant  in  this  city. 

"The  discourse,"  as  reported  by  a  contemporary  paper,  "was  an  able 
and  eloquent  exposition  of  the  true,  practical  nature  of  Christian  benefi- 

1 


74  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

cence.  This  was  shown  to  be  nothing  less  than  an  entire  consecration  of 
the  life  to  Christ,  and  a  faithful,  persevering  work  for  Him.  Energy,  en- 
thusiasm, and  clear  judgment  must  enter  into  such  a  life.  The  true 
follower  of  Christ  should  go;  as  He  did,  among  the  poor,  the  forsaken,  and 
the  outcast,  not  fearing  the  contact  or  the  taint  of  the  vile  and  suffering. 
He  must  be  willing  to  study  with  patient  care  the  best  means  of  doing 
good,  and  with  the  joy  of  working  for  his  Master  bear  with  cheerful  self- 
denial  the  hardships  and  toils  so  blessed  a  work  may  impose." 

If  the  sermon  had  been  inspired  by  a  prophetic  spirit 
it  could  hardly  have  been  a  more  fitting  inaugural  to 
such  a  ministry. 

"The  consecrating  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Rev.  Henry  B.  Smith, 
D.  D.,  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  accom- 
panied by  the  laying  on  of  hands  by  the  Presbytery ;  after  which  a  very 
touching  charge  to  the  pastor  was  made  by  the  Rev.  William  Adams, 
D.  D.,  his  peculiar  relations  as  the  head  of  the  parent  church  giving  it 
an  additional  force  and  interest.  He  congratulated  Mr.  Payson  on  his 
taking  charge  of  so  interesting  a  field,  after  long  years  of  preparation  and 
labor.  He  alluded  feelingly  to  his  ancestral  honors  and  inherited  fitness 
for  such  a  work,  Mr.  Payson's  father  and  grandfather  having  been  faithful 
ministers,  and  his  near  relation,  Rev.  Dr.  Payson,  of  Portland,  whose 
praise  is  in  all  the  churches.  Dr.  Adams  exhorted  him  as  one  who  would 
now  take  the  charge  and  responsibility  of  so  important  a  part  of  his  own 
church  work,  to  great  faithfulness  and  prayer,  to  enthusiasm  in  life,  to 
careful  study,  and  to  faithful  adaptation  to  the  great  variety  of  hearers 
who  form  the  congregation  at  the  chapel.  The  remarks  concluded  by  an 
affectionate  appeal  to  the  people  to  receive  their  new  pastor  with  love 
and  confidence,  and  to  use  the  same  care  and  preparation  in  hearing  the 
word  of  life  as  would  be  necessary  in  preaching  it  faithfully. 

"  The  services  were  closed  by  music,  and  a  benediction  by  the  new 
pastor." 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  estimate  the  indebtedness  of 
this  enterprise  to  the  cordial  sympathy  and  material  aid 
of  the  Madison  Square  Church.  Its  origin  and  financial 
support,  and  the  spiritual  growth  of  its  people  through 
all  the  years  of  its  remarkable  history,  are  very  largely 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  75 

attributable,  under  God,  to  the  zeal  and  fidelity  of  the 
members  of  that  church,  of  which  the  Rev.  William 
Adams,  D.  D.,  was  for  so  long  a  period  the  distinguished 
and  honored  pastor.  His  successor,  the  Rev.  William 
J.  Tucker,  D.  D.,  has  manifested  no  less  deep  an  interest 
in  the  work  of  the  Memorial  Chapel ;  and  under  the  able 
ministrations  of  these  eminent  men,  the  Madison  Square 
Church  has  continued  unremittingly  for  twenty  years  its 
generous  support  of  the  work  undertaken  in  this  field. 
At  the  commencement  it  furnished  all  the  funds  neces- 
sary for  the  conduct  of  the  mission ;  and  during  the  past 
nine  years  (since  the  people  at  the  chapel  began  to  give 
part  of  the  amount)  its  annual  expenses  here  have  aver- 
aged from  $4,000  to  $6,000,  besides  the  private  contri- 
butions to  the  poor  and  sick,  which  have  in  all  cases 
been  considerable — probably  several  thousands  of  dollars 
per  annum.  Then,  too,  the  "  Snowflake  Offering"  for 
the  erection  of  the  Memorial  Chapel  in  1874-5  amounted 
to  more  than  $40,000;  and  $50,000  had  been  paid  for 
lots  in  1873-4. 

But  these  generous  contributions  of  money  were  by 
no  means  all  nor  the  greatest  share  of  the  support  most 
cheerfully  provided  for  this  enterprise  by  the  parent 
church.  Many  of  its  most  efficient  and  capable  workers 
engaged  in  active  labors  here.  In  the  Sabbath-school, 
the  Employment  Society,  the  Industrial  School,  the 
Neighborhood  Prayer-meetings,  at  the  annual  Christmas 
festival,  and  in  almost  every  department  of  religious 
work  connected  with  the  chapel,  the  zealous  and  devoted 
Christians  who  worship  in  the  Madison  Square  Church 


76  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

took  part  with  an  enthusiasm  and  fidelity  which  merit 
the  highest  encomiums. 

Mr.  Payson's  field  was  all  prepared  for  him.  The 
members  of  the  large  and  influential  Committee  to  whom 
the  management  of  this  enterprise  was  intrusted  from 
the  first  were  among  his  constant  and  cordial  friends. 
Although  they  disagreed  with  him  at  times  with  refer- 
ence to  the  conduct  of  the  "  Mission  "  (as  it  was  called 
at  first  and  for  many  years)  Mr.  Payson  had  abundant 
opportunity  to  recognize  their  uniform  courtesy,  and  un- 
tiring interest  in  the  work.  He  often  spoke  of  them  in 
terms  of  the  warmest  appreciation,  and  both  in  public 
and  private  gave  frequent  expression  to  the  deep  sense 
of  gratitude  he  felt  for  having  been  called,  in  the  good 
providence  of  God,  to  labor  with  the  members  of  a  church 
whose  sound  judgment  and  financial  ability  were  in- 
spired by  such  steadfast  zeal.  Some  of  these  gentlemen 
were  identified  with  the  chapel  almost  from  the  very 
first,  and  were  the  "  pillars  "  of  Mr.  Payson's  work,  as  he 
himself  often  styled  them.  Humanly  speaking,  their  aid 
and  that  of  those  connected  with  them,  also  from  the 
parent  church,  were  indispensable  to  his  success.  In 
season  and  out  of  season,  by  night  and  day,  both  summer 
and  winter,  these  noble  Christian  men  labored,  as  they 
still  labor,  with  a  faith  and  patience,  and  indefatigable 
devotion  to  their  work,  which  moved  the  admiration  and 
stimulated  the  zeal  of  all  who  knew  them. 

It  is  especially  worthy  of  note  that  the  members  of 
the  Madison  Square  Church  who  engaged  in  this  field, 
carried  light  and  life  to  dreary  homes,  not  by  the  dole  of 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  77 

chanty  or  the  cold  unsympathetic  aid  of  money  lavishly 
bestowed,  but,  as  their  Saviour  did,  by  the  personal  con- 
tact of  loving  hearts.  The  poor  felt  the  comforts  of  their 
bounty,  bounteously  bestowed  ;  the  cheerless  were  glad- 
dened by  their  love ;  and  many  a  weak  and  desolate  soul 
of  whom  the  Judge  may  say  at  last,  "  It  is  one  of  the  least 
of  these  my  brethren,"  was  not  only  succored  in  distress, 
but  saved  from  sin  as  well,  through  their  kind  ministry. 
There  is  one  man  in  particular  from  that  church  of 
whom  we  can  only  speak  with  the  most  affectionate  and 
kindling  admiration  of  his  character.  He  is  loved  and 
honored  as  a  father  in  the  chapel.  The  poor  all  know 
him  as  their  friend.  He  goes  from  house  to  house  and 
from  child  to  child  with  every  want  upon  his  heart  and 
every  name  upon  his  lip.  He  is  as  loving  and  genlle  as 
a  mother,  and  as  wise  and  prudent  in  advice  and  thought- 
ful of  the  interests  of  all  as  any  man  should  be  who  is 
called  to  administer  counsel  to  twelve  hundred  clients. 
As  a  simple  matter  of  fact,  this  Christian  layman  has 
been  a  co-pastor  of  the  church.  He  has  never  borne  the 
title,  but  he  has  done  a  vast  amount  of  visiting  and  min- 
istering, and  waiting  and  sympathizing,  such  as  few  min- 
isters ever  do,  and  in  those  favored  years  not  long  ago, 
when  business  did  not  press  too  heavily  upon  his  time, 
accomplished  quite  as  much  as  any  pastor  does.  And 
all  from  love  for  souls.  He  is  perfectly  simple.  No  such 
thing  as  affectation  or  display  appears  in  anything  he 
does.  He  seldom  "  speaks  "  in  meeting,  but  when  he 
prays,  prays  with  such  fervor  and  humility,  that  every 
waiting  heart  goes  out  with  his  to  worship  at  the  throne. 


78  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

And  still  another,  with  equal  zeal  and  extraordinary 
powers  of  endurance,  in  spite  of  multitudinous  engage- 
ments and  engrossing  cares  such  as  throng  upon  the 
path  of  every  business  man  in  this  metropolis,  and  in  the 
very  face  of  obstacles  which  ordinary  Christians  plead  at 
times  as  reasons  for  neglect  of  public  duty,  consecrated 
every  Sabbath-day,  and  at  least  two  evenings  every  week, 
to  the  cause  of  Christian  service  here.  Scarcely  a  Sab- 
bath-day for  seventeen  years  has  seen  him  absent  from 
his  post.  The  prayer-meetings  held  each  Wednesday 
and  Friday  evening  through  the  year  witnessed  his  con- 
stant devotion  and  indefatigable  zeal.  Few  laymen  ever 
spent  more  thought  and  care,  or  sacrificed  themselves 
more  cheerfully  for  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  Christ 
in  any  field.  And  it  is  hardly  possible  to  overestimate 
the  indebtedness  of  this  particular  enterprise  to  the 
benevolence  and  fidelity  of  this  one  man.  Almost  from 
its  very  inception  it  has  felt  the  beneficent  influence  of 
his  life. 

Nor  have  these  Christian  workers  stood  alone  to  rep- 
resent the  parent  church.  Others  engaged  in  different 
and  most  important  branches  of  the  work  with  equal 
devotion  and  faithfulness.  Many  others  made  equally 
noble  and  generous  sacrifices,  possibly  even  greater. 
"  Every  man  shall  have  praise  of  God."  And  it  cannot 
escape  our  notice  here  that  the  same  philanthropic  and 
Christian  spirit  of  love  pervaded  all  the  efforts  in  this 
field  from  the  very  first.  Personal  comfort,  time,  and 
money,  were  freely  given  up  by  those  whose  highest  in- 
spiration is  the  cross. 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  79 

He  would  be  a  strange  servant  of  Christ  who  could 
assume  the  care  of  souls  under  such  auspices  as  these, 
and  not  find  his  zeal  enkindled  by  the  very  atmosphere  in 
which  he  stood.  But  Charles  Payson  brought  to  this 
field  a  heart  already  enkindled  by  divine  grace,  and  already 
aglow  with  love  for  souls.  He  brought  an  enthusiastic 
nature,  warmed  and  inspired  by  grateful  memories  of  a 
Christian  home,  a  Christian  ancestry,  and  Christian  train- 
ing through  all  his  life ;  and  he  needed  nothing  more  to 
draw  him  into  instant  sympathy  with  all  these  earnest 
workers  for  the  Lord. 

During  the  summer  of  i860,  the  same  year  in  which 
Mr.  Payson  assumed  the  care  of  the  mission,  it  became 
evident  that  the  accommodations  furnished  by  the  chapel 
were  insufficient  for  the  growing  demands  of  the  work  ; 
and  accordingly  additions  were  made  to  the  chapel  build- 
ing, consisting  of  an  extension  of  the  main  edifice  some 
twenty-five  feet  in  the  rear,  together  with  two  wings,  the 
one  fronting  on  Thirty-first  street,  forty  by  twenty  feet, 
the  other,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  chapel,  twenty  by 
twenty  feet,  each  two  stories  high.  These  furnished 
rooms  for  the  infant-class  on  Sunday,  and  for  social 
prayer-meetings  during  the  week,  as  well  as  for  a  large 
and  well-arranged  Sunday-school  library. 

The  religious  life  of  the  new  organization  received  a 
great  impulse  at  this  time ;  and  during  the  following 
year  between  forty  and  fifty  united  with  the  church,  most 
of  them  on  confession  of  their  faith.  The  Sunday-school 
rapidly  increased  in  numbers  and  interest,  and  during  the 
winter  of  1860-61,  the  average  attendance  at  the  morn- 


So  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

ing  session  was  six  hundred  and  fifty,  as  many  as  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  frequently  being  present.  The  prayer- 
meetings  also  grew  very  fast,  till  the  room  used  for  this 
purpose  was  crowded  with  from  one  hundred  to  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  ;  and  without  any  excitement  the  work  of 
grace  continued  through  the  year.  Several  were  added 
to  the  church  upon  confession  of  their  faith  at  every 
communion  season  ;  and  this  peculiarity  of  the  work, 
marking  the  very  commencement  of  Mr.  Payson's  minis- 
try, characterized  it  to  the  end.*  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact 
that,  throughout  the  sixteen  years  in  which  he  labored 
with  this  people,  there  was  not  a  single  month  in  which 
some  case  of  hopeful  conversion  did  not  occur.  The 
spirit  of  revival  was  constant  in  the  church,  and  a  deep 
tone  of  active  piety  pervaded  all  its  services. 

This  may  be  well  illustrated  by  the  following  request, 
which  is  only  one  of  many,  presented  to  the  pastor  at  one 
of  the  weekly  meetings  by  a  lady  member  of  his  church : 

"  Oh,  to  be  nothing,  nothing, 

Only  to  lie  at  His  feet, 
A  broken  and  emptied  vessel, 

For  the  Master's  use  made  meet: 
Emptied,  that  he  might  fill  me, 

As  forth  to  his  service  I  go; 
Broken,  that  so,  unhindered, 

His  life  through  me  might  flow." 

My  Dear  Friend  and  Pastor:  I  most  deeply  feel  that  I  need 
your  prayers  and  the  prayers  of  our  brethren  and  sisters  in  Christ.  I 
want  to  be  what  the  lines  above  express — nothing,  nothing,  that  I  may  see 
the  glory  of  Christ  in  the  conversion  of  precious  souls  to  whom  I  stand 
very  nearly  related.  I  have  long  prayed  in  secret  for  a  heart  single  to 
God's  glory,  but  something  in  me  seems  to  hinder  the  possession  of  the 
full  blessing  I  crave.     Perhaps  I  should  not  so  present  myself  for  prayer 

*  The  only  exception  (in  September,  1S70)  was  caused  by  a  misunderstanding  on  the 
part  of  applicants  for  admission  as  to  the  time  for  meeting  the  Session. 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  Si 

when  so  many  unconverted  souls  demand  our  earnest  intercession  ;  bu<  I 
feel  deeply  burdened  in  spirit.  I  hope  that  you  are  better  again,  and  that 
you  may  be  thoroughly  furnished  to  every  good  work. 

Most  truly  your  friend. 

Mr.  Payson  very  often  received  letters  of  this  charac- 
ter. His  life  was  so  devoted  to  the  highest  good  of  those 
he  served,  and  was  so  genuine  a  life  of  prayer,  that  no 
one  could  remain  long  under  its  influence  without  ac- 
knowledging the  power  of  holiness  to  kindle  holiness, 
and  of  a  pure,  self-sacrificing  love  for  Christ  to  awaken 
longings  after  just  such  love  in  other  hearts.  He  pos- 
sessed in  a  marked  degree  the  graces  of  self-sacrifice, 
humility,  and  simple  faith  in  God ;  and  these,  above  all 
other  gifts  with  which  he  was  endowed,  contributed  to 
his  success.  They  led  him  on  to  labor  for  the  poor  and 
destitute,  the  outcasts  of  society,  the  lepers  of  to-day, 
the  desolate  and  heart-broken  and  hopeless  men  and 
women  of  the  great  metropolis,  with  a  zeal  and  self-devo- 
tion which  have  borne  their  golden  fruit  in  hundreds 
upon  hundreds  of  emancipated  souls,  the  full  measure  of 
whose  blessedness  will  not  be  known  until  the  harvest 
home.  It  was  the  predicted  glory  of  our  Lord's  public 
ministry,  to  which  He  himself  more  than  once  alluded, 
that  he  was  "  anointed  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor," 
and  that  the  "poor  had  the  gospel  preached  unto  them  ;" 
and  it  was  the  joy  of  Mr.  Pay  son's  life  that  he  was  privi- 
leged in  just  this  way  to  follow  Christ. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  during  his  long  and 
patient  ministry  to  this  people  of  the  eastern  district  of 
New  York,  Mr.  Payson  received  urgent  invitations  to 
leave  his  field  and  become  the  pastor  of  other  churches, 


82  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

in  any  one  of  which,  as  the  world  judges,  he  would  have 
occupied  a  far  more  eligible  position,  and  wielded  a  much 
more  coveted  influence.  These  invitations  were  never 
sought  in  any  way ;  and  yet,  through  all  his  ministry,* 
they  were  repeatedly  presented  to  him  by  large  and  flour- 
ishing churches  in  Toronto,  in  Montreal,  in  Bridgeport, 
and  in  other  towns  and  cities  of  the  Middle  and  Eastern 
states,  as  well  as  in  New  York  itself,  in  the  vain  attempt 
to  change  his  purpose  and  win  him  from  his  chosen 
field.  He  invariably  preferred  to  stay  "  where,"  as  he 
often  said,  "  the  Lord  hath  called  and  blessed  him  in  his 
work."  But  he  never  dismissed  any  one  of  these  callsf 
hastily  or  carelessly,  invariably  seeking  rather  by  earnest 
prayer — as  he  did  indeed  concerning  every  event  of  his 
life — to  know  what  the  Divine  will  might  be. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  one  of  the  leading  clergymen 
of  New  York  that  "  in  every  respect  Charles  Payson  hum- 
bled himself  to  this  work."  But  with  that  rare  sympathy 
which  springs  from  unaffected  love  for  men,  for  all  men, 
even  for  the  worst,  because  of  the  possible  good  which 
may  be  wrought  in  them,  he  stooped  to  the  very  lowest 
whom  he  met,  so  generously  that  no  one  ever  thought 
him  condescending,  and  so  entirely,  with  all  the  wealth 
of  his  overflowing  heart  and  vigorous  mind  and  prayer- 
ful life,  that  more  than  a  thousand  men  and  women  still 
bear  the  impress  of  his  character  as  members  of  the 
church  of  Christ  on  earth,  and  as  we  hope,  of  that  great 

*  The  last  call,  of  the  most  flattering  and  honorable  nature,  was  pre- 
sented in  1876. 

t  The  invitations  were  sometimes  presented  with,  and  sometimes 
without,  the  formality  of  a  regular  call. 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  S3 

household  in  the  skies  of  which  the  Saviour  says,  "  These 
are  my  own."  Indeed  it  has  been  truly  remarked  that 
"  Mr.  Payson  never  knew  any  distinctions  between  men." 
His  love  was  catholic.  His  life  was  like  his  Lord's  in 
this,  that  both  the  rich  and  poor,  the  great  and  the  igno- 
ble, the  educated  and  the  ignorant,  alike  found  sympathy 
in  him,  and  learned  that  when  he  gave  himself  to  men 
he  gave  himself  without  reserve. 

The  brief  sketch  of  his  labors  to  which  we  shall  soon 
turn,  confirms  the  testimony  which  another  city  pastor, 
his  associate  in  the  parent  church,  bears  to  his  self-sac- 
rificing love  for  his  people.  "  Our  brother,"  he  said, 
while  speaking  to  the  large  and  tearful  assembly  which 
thronged  the  church  at  Mr.  Payson's  funeral,  "had  a 
spirit  of  brave,  grand,  simple,  honorable  consecration  to 
his  Master.  .  .  .  But  it  seems  to  me  that  his  life  was 
more  than  consecrated.  He  had  the  rare  gift  of  putting 
himself  completely  in  another's  place,  and  of  throwing 
himself  without  reserve  into  everything  he  did !  What- 
ever the  work,  he  gave  to  it  his  best  energy  and  thought. 
With  him  there  were  no  distinctions  between  what  we 
call  little  and  great.  .  .  .  Duty  was  alike  important  in 
any  case.  .  .  .  He  would  not  spare  himself.  What  was 
said  of  Christ  might  be  said  in  a  large  measure  of  him  : 
'  He  saved  others,  himself  lie  cannot  save;1  and  so  truly 
did  his  heart  go  out  towards  the  real  good  and  happiness 
of  his  flock,  that  this  deeply-bereaved  people  can  say 
'  We  love  him,  beeause  he  first  loved  us  /'  "* 

*  From  a  partial  report  of  the  address  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Tucker,  D.  D., 
by  a  lady  friend. 


84  ALL  FOR  CLLRIST. 

In  the  same  strain  of  thought  and  feeling,  the  Rev. 
E.  F.  Burr,  D.  D.,*  whose  reputation  as  a  scholar  and 
brilliant  writer  has  made  him  so  widely  known,  writes, 
under  date  of  February  12,  1877,  to  Mrs.  Payson  : 

From  the  outset  of  my  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Payson  I  conceived 
the  highest  opinion  of  him,  both  as  a  man  and  as  a  Christian  minister. 
The  sermons  from  him  to  which  I  have  listened  were  such  as  to  make  me 
wonder  that  the  great  audiences  to  which  he  preached  were  not  still 
greater.  While  admirably  suited  to  his  own  congregation,  they  were  quite 
as  well  suited,  as  to  all  the  elements  of  effective  speech,  to  the  most 
scholarly  and  critical  assembly  in  the  land.  If  New  York  has  in  her  pul- 
pits any  man  more  gifted  with  comprehensive  faculty  and  robust  eloquence 
than  Charles  Payson,  she  is  greatly  to  be  congratulated. 

But  to  me  the  crowning  thing  in  the  man  was  the  splendid  devotion 
with  which  he  gave  himself  to  a  work  usually  not  much  coveted  among 
men  of  his  large  ability.     The  Master,  who  himself  so  pitied  the  sheep 
which  had  no   shepherd,   knows  how  to  appreciate  a  spirit  so  like  his . 
own.  .  .  . 

And  here  it  may  be  proper  to  mention  a  fact  which 
will  perhaps  place  in  a  still  clearer  light  the  "  splendid 
devotion  "  to  which  Dr.  Burr  refers.  In  the  "  Minutes 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States"  the  form  under  which  church  work  is  re- 
ported rendered  it  impossible,  in  the  peculiar  position 
Mr.  Payson  occupied,  that  any  separate  record  of  his 
work  should  appear.  Thus  to  one  unacquainted  with 
the  facts  he  would  seem  to  be  there  represented  as  little 
better  than  an  idler  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  During  the 
sixteen  years  in  which  he  toiled  so  faithfully  and  with 
such  blessed  effect  as  one  of  her  pastors,  these  records 
tell  almost  nothing  about  his  work.     Sixteen  empty  col- 

*  Author  of  "Pater  Mundi"  "  Ecce  Caelum"  "Ad  Clemm"  "Ad 
Fidem,"  "  Work  in  tlie  Vineyard"  etc.,  etc. 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  S5 

umns  follow  his  name  in  these  official  pages  year  after 
year,  and  the  same  silence  is  observed  in  the  case  of  his 
devoted  fellow-laborers  in  the  field  of  New  York  City 
Missions.*  Take,  e.  g.,  the  record  for  the  year  1873,  given 
on  the  next  page,  and  it  is  substantially  the  same  for 
every  other  year  from  i860  to  1877. 

During  the  past  two  years  the  forms  have  been  so 
changed  that  the  contributions  of  the  Memorial  Chapel 
stand  opposite  the  name  of  its  pastor ;  but  from  first  to 
last  no  records  of  the  numbers  admitted  to  the  church, 
of  the  children  connected  with  the  Sunday-school,  or  of 
any  other  proofs  of  its  Christian  life  and  growth  are  asso- 
ciated with  his  name.  This  strange  anomaly  is  perhaps 
the  result,  in  part  at  least,  of  our  present  system  of  Pres- 
byterian church  mission  work  as  carried  on  in  New  York. 
In  some  cases  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  the 
effect  of  this  system  has  not  been  to  repress  and  keep  in 
the  background  rather  than  to  develop  those  free,  self- 
supporting  virtues  which  are  the  strength  and  beauty  of 
any  church.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that  under  this  sys- 
tem the  mission  chapel,  its  pastor,  and  its  labors  may  be 
to  the  eye  of  the  church  at  large  almost  wholly  absorbed 
and  lost  sight  of  in  the  parent  body.f 

But  without  discussing  the  point,  it  is  enough  to  say 
here  that  Mr.  Payson  himself  was  not  unconscious  of  the 
false  position  in  which  he,  together  with  his  fellow-labor- 
ers in  the  same  field,  was  placed  anew  every  year  by  the 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  A. 

t  Compare  upon  this  whole  subject  the  very  interesting  and  impor- 
tant papers  furnished  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  Hastings  and  Tucker  of  this  city, 
and  published  in  the  Appendix,  Note  A. 

8 


86 


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HIS  FIELD  OF  LAB  OH.  87 

Minutes  of  the  General  Assembly.  He  would  have  pre- 
ferred not  to  be  designated,  or  to  see  his  brethren  desig- 
nated there  as  "  S.  S.,"  when  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
he  and  they  were  true  Christian  pastors,  wedded  to  their 
flock  by  the  tenderest  and  holiest  ties.  It  was  a  wrong 
which  he  thought  should  be  righted,  a  wrong  which  he 
did  not  hesitate,  on  suitable  occasion,  to  protest  against. 
But  still  he  laid  no  inordinate  stress  upon  this  matter, 
knowing  full  well  that  the  only  record  worthy  of  much 
solicitude  is  that  kept  by  the  Master  himself. 

The  extract  from  the  Minutes  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly, given  on  the  opposite  page,  is  in  no  way  exceptional. 
The  same  contrast  might  be  shown  in  other  years  as  well, 
and,  with  the  exceptions  above  noted,  it  exists  in  every 
year  of  his  ministry  from  i860  to  1877.  This,  however, 
may  serve  to  illustrate  the  facts. 

In  this  connection  the  contemporary  record  of  a  judi- 
cious and  competent  critic,  Rev.  Lyman  Abbott,  D.  D., 
will  be  found  both  pertinent  and  interesting.  In  1872,  Dr. 
Abbott  wrote  a  series  of  letters  for  "  The  Advance,"  upon 
"  Popular  Preachers  of  New  York,"  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  that  devoted  to  Mr.  Payson. 

Of  all  the  thousands  who  daily  pass  up  and  down  Third  avenue  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Thirtieth  street,  there  are  probably  very  few  who 
know  that  they  are  passing  a  church  which  every  Sunday  contains  one  of 
the  largest  Protestant  congregations  in  the  city.  And  if  the  reader,  stop- 
ping at  one  of  our  fashionable  hotels,  or  entering  into  the  more  select  cir- 
cles of  our  polite  and  refined  society,  were  to  inquire  for  the  names  of  the 
most  popular  preachers  in  the  city,  it  is  certain  that  Rev.  Charles  H.  Pay- 
son  would  not  be  described  as  one  of  them.  Nay,  if  he  were  to  ask  for 
Mr.  Payson's  church,  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  could  learn  where  it  is  sit- 
uated.    In  fact  it  is  not  a  church,  but  only  a  branch  of  a  church.     It  is  a 


88  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

"mission"  established  by  the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church,  (Dr. 
William  Adams',)  which  defrays  its  expenses,  provides  its  pastor,  admin- 
isters in  the  last  resort  its  government,  furnishes  the  Sabbath-school  with 
many  of  its  teachers,  and  to  which  those  who  are  converted  through  its 
instrumentality  become  united  when  they  make  a  profession  of  religion. 
Indeed,  Dr.  Adams'  church  has  for  several  years  received  larger  acces- 
sions of  members  through  the  instrumentality  of  its  mission  than  directly 
through  its  own  services.  In  a  sense  it  may  be  said  that  Mr.  Payson  is 
the  colleague  and  copastor  with  Dr.  Adams,  though  they  work  in  entirely 
different  fields,  and  minister  to  entirely  different  congregations. 

Mr.  Payson's  church  is  built,  to  use  Mr.  Beecher's  expressive,  though 
inelegant  phrase,  in  "  the  belly  of  a  lot."  Its  unpretentious  front  is  hardly 
to  be  discriminated  from  the  block  of  stores  in  the  midst  of  which  it 
stands. 

Entering  and  ascending  a  flight  of  stairs  to  the  second  floor,  the  vis- 
itor finds  himself  in  a  large  hall  capable  of  seating  1,000  or  1,200  people, 
and  perhaps  more.  It  is  perfectly  plain.  The  pews  are  movable  settees. 
At  your  right  as  you  enter  is  a  large  box  labelled  "Building  Fund,"  for 
this  congregation  have  become  incited  with  the  laudable  ambition  to  be- 
come independent  and  self-supporting,  and  secure  a  church  home  which 
they  can  truly  call  their  own.  It  is  slow  work,  for  it  takes  many  pennies 
to  build  a  city  church,  but  the  work  goes  bravely  on.  At  the  farther  end 
of  the  hall  is  a  low,  broad  platform,  with  a  simple  reading-desk  in  front. 
On  one  side  stands  a  grand  piano,  a  substitute  for  an  organ.  Experience 
shows  that  it  serves  a  better  purpose  as  a  leader  alike  for  church  and  Sun- 
day-school ;  and  there  is  no  choir.  None,  did  I  say  ?  Rather,  every  hymn 
is  sung  by  a  choir  of  a  thousand  voices,  a  choir  which  compensates  for 
some  discords  in  music  by  the  grand  harmony  of  feeling  which  animates  it. 

It  is  half-past  seven.  The  hour  of  service  has  arrived.  The  congre- 
gation are  in  their  seats.  They  are  prompter  than  some  of  their  fashion- 
able neighbors.  There  are  no  empty  pews,  and  but  few  empty  seats. 
There  are  not  many  Protestant  ministers  who  address  larger  Sabbath 
evening  congregations  than  Mr.  Payson.  It  is  a  congregation  composed 
for  the  most  part  of  those  whose  meagre  incomes,  varying  from  $600  to 
$1,500  a  year,  debar  them  from  churches  whose  pew-rents  are  from  $50 
to  $300. 

The  preacher  rises  in  his  place.  Without  being  handsome,  he  strikes 
one  as  being  a  fine-looking  man.  He  is,  perhaps,  a  little  above  the  me- 
dium height,  with  dark  hair,  keen  and  at  times  piercing  eyes,  and  a  nervous, 
but  self-possessed  action.  He  throws  into  his  reading  of  Scripture  a  dra- 
matic fire  which  fixes  the  attention  of  his  audience,  many  of  whom  follow 
him  with  open  Bible  in  their  hands.  His  prayer  is  simple,  earnest,  but 
not  oratorical,  and  is  the  utterance  of  one  who  knows  the  wants  of  the 


HIS  FIELD  OF  LABOR.  89 

people  whose  petitions  he  conducts  to  the  throne  of  grace.  He  joins  in 
the  singing,  being  precentor  as  well  as  preacher.  He  announces  his  text. 
If  his  sermon  is  written,  it  is  only  before  him  as  a  reminder.  He  refers 
from  time  to  time  to  his  notes  ;  but  as  his  discourse  proceeds,  warms  with  his 
subject,  leaves  the  desk,  addresses  his  audience  now  from  this,  now  from 
that  side  of  the  platform,  throws  aside  the  tone  and  manner  of  a  minister, 
and  appears  more  like  a  platform  speaker  than  like  a  pulpit  orator.  He 
abounds  in  illustrations.  His  sermon  does  not  lack  continuity,  but  its 
power  consists  in  the  spiritual  warmth  which  characterizes  it.  His  action 
is  sometimes  perhaps  too  fervid,  and  his  tones  too  intense  for  our  taste, 
yet  he  rarely  breaks  the  bond  of  sympathy  which  unites  him  to  his  con- 
gregation. 

The  sermon  over  and  the  benediction  pronounced,  you  rise  decorous- 
ly to  go  forward  and  introduce  yourself  to  the  preacher.  But  he  is  not 
there.  With  a  celerity  that  is  somewhat  astonishing  he  has  rushed  down 
the  aisle  and  is  standing  at  the  main  entrance  submitting  to  the  American 
handshaking  with  his  congregation — blacksmith,  glazier,  milkman,  butcher, 
and  their  wives  and  children,  with  a  kind  word  of  personal  inquiry  to  old 
friends  and  with  a  cheery  welcome  to  strangers.  Though  we  account  Mr. 
Payson  among  the  popular  preachers  of  New  York,  it  is  perhaps  this  per- 
sonal and  unaffected  interest  in  his  people  which,  more  than  his  preach- 
ing, is  the  secret  of  his  popularity ;  and  we  place  his  name  here  because 
he  is  a  type  of  a  class  of  preachers  unknown  to  fame  on  earth,  though 
not  unknown  above,  who  are  consecrating  their  lives  to  the  fulfilment  of 
Christ's  mission  in  laboring  that  the  poor  may  have  the  gospel  preached 
unto  them. 

The  tables  upon  the  following  page,  prepared  from 
the  official  records  of  the  Madison  Square  Chapel,  exhibit 
some  of  the  fruits  of  his  ministry.  The  figures,  it  will 
be  seen,  are  not  altogether  complete,  especially  in  con- 
nection with  the  Sunday-school,  but  they  are  sufficiently 
so  to  furnish  a  brief  and  summary  description  of  his  la- 
bors ;  and  the  attention  of  the  reader  is  the  more  partic- 
ularly invited  to  them,  because,  as  has  been  said,  this  is 
the  first  and  only  tabulated  statement  of  his  work  ever 
published.  The  pastor  of  the  German  branch,  it  should 
be  noted,  was  the  Rev.  Martin  A.  Erdmann. 


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METHODS  AND  MEANS.  Q1 

CHAPTER    IV. 
METHODS  AND  MEANS. 

In  his  annual  report  of  the  chapel  work  for  1876,  Mr. 
Payson  says,  "  There  are  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  ser- 
vices of  various  kinds  held. every  week  in  connection  with 
the  chapel,  an  average  of  ten  each  Sabbath  and  two  to 
three  each  week  day.  Together  with  the  Sabbath-school 
teachers,  over  one  hundred  are  employed  in  one  way  or 
another  each  week.  This  does  not  include  the  forty  vol- 
unteers who  have  canvassed  the  neighborhood  of  the 
chapel,  inviting  all  non-churchgoers  to  God's  house,  nor 
the  various  works  of  love  and  mercy  performed  by  individ- 
ual members  of  the  church  on  their  own  responsibility 

You  will  be  interested  to  know  that  some  gathered  from 
off  the  street  fifteen  or  eighteen  years  ago  are  to-day 
among  our  best  Christian  helpers.  One  occurs  to  me  now 
who  every  Sabbath,  rain  or  shine,  takes  a  journey  of  two 
miles  to  bring  an  impenitent  friend  and  his  wife  to  church. 
She  has  done  this  for  two  years,  and  still  prays  and  hopes 
for  their  conversion.     This  is  but  one  illustration  of  her 

untiring  zeal  for  Christ Most  of  our  enlarged  space 

is  already  occupied.  Four  Bible-classes  occupy  the  upper 
story  of  the  building,  at  the  same  time  that  the  two  lower 
stories  are  occupied  by  the  infant-class  and  Sabbath- 
school  proper." 

The  methods  and  means  which  Mr.  Payson  chose  to 


92  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

enlist  the  members  of  his  church  in  active  work  were 
such  as  long  experience  proved  to  be  best  adapted  for 
his  field.  It  was  an  invariable  rule  with  him  to  give 
every  Christian  some  work  to  do  for  the  Master.  If  one 
had  a  talent  for  singing,  he  was  placed  in  the  singing- 
class  which  met  each  Tuesday  in  the  year.  If  another 
showed  promise  for  usefulness  as  a  teacher  in  the  Sab- 
bath-school, or  a  leader  of  the  Young  People's  Meetings, 
or  a  visitor  among  the  sick,  he  was  employed,  if  possible, 
in  one  or  another  of  those  fields.  The  Temperance  As- 
sociation, the  Society  of  Christian  Workers,  the  Commit- 
tees on  Strangers,  Invitation,  Family  Prayer-Meetings, 
Employment,  and  the  Sick,  and  other  such  agencies,  en- 
rolled a  very  large  number  of  the  members  of  the  church, 
and  furnished  fields  of  Christian  activity  for  almost  every 
one. 

In  illustration  of  the  efforts  Mr.  Payson  made  in  this 
direction,  the  organization  effected  in  1867-8  may  be 
mentioned,  only  as  an  illustration,  however.  Work  did 
not  begin  nor  end  with  this.  It  was  continued  by  means 
analogous  to  those  then  employed  from  the  very  com- 
mencement of  his  pastorate  to  its  end.  But  this  will 
serve  to  illustrate. 

In  the  year  1867-8,  under  the  efficient  leadership  of 
Mr.  S.  Tyler  Williams,  the  "Society  of  Christian  Work- 
ers" was  organized  by  Mr.  Payson  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing effective  cooperation  in  Christian  work.  It  was 
composed  of  five  committees :  "  The  Employment  Com- 
mittee," "The  Good  Samaritans,"  "The  Committee  on 
Strangers,"  "The    Family  Prayer-Meeting  Committee," 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  93 

and  "The  Committee  on  Invitation."  A  "Pastors  Cir- 
cular' was  distributed  through  the  congregation,  in 
which,  after  quoting  the  words  of  the  apostle  in  Romans 
1 2  :  5-8,  he  says : 

In  accordance  with  these  God-given  principles,  there  is  work  for 
every  member  of  our  church.  May  your  pastor  ask  your  earnest,  prayerful 
attention  to  the  following  questions  ?  They  may  suggest  your  work.  All 
responses  are  confidential,  to  aid  him  in  classifying  his  helpers. 

Name, 

Address,  


DEVOTIONAL. 

Will  you  daily  remember  your  church  and  pastor,  by  using  our  print- 
ed Prayer  Register?* 

Will  you  select  one  or  more  unconverted  persons  and  daily  pray  for 
them  till  they  are  brought  to  Christ? 

Will  you  endeavor  regularly  to  attend  any  of  the  following  services  ? 
If  so,  indicate  it  by  an  X  opposite  such  meetings.  If  willing  to  take  part, 
make  two  XXs. 

Church  Services,  morning  and  evening  ? 
Sabbath-School,  or  Adult  Bible-Class? 
Young  People's  Prayer-Meeting,  Sabbath  evening,  7  o'clock  ? 
Church  Prayer-Meeting  on  Wednesday  evening  ? 
Sabbath-School  Prayer-Meeting  on  Friday  evening  ? 
Any  Family  Prayer-Meeting  (they  are  held  on  Monday,  Tues- 
day, and  Thursday  evenings)  ? 
Female  Prayer-Meeting,  Friday  afternoon  at  2I  o'clock. 

COOD  SAMARITAN  WORK. 
Will  you  sit  up  with  the  sick,  if  called  upon,  one  night  each  month  ? 
Will  you  visit  the  sick  ?     If  so,  what  day  ? 

VISITING  DEPARTMENT. 

Can  you  take  a  district,  and  see  that  all  its  families  are  invited  to 
church  services  ? 

Will  you  try  to  bring  children  to  our  Sabbath-school  ? 
*  See  page  98. 


94  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 


STRANGERS'  DEPARTMENT. 

Will  you,  at  our  various  religious  and  social  gatherings,  welcome 
strangers,  and  endeavor  to  make  them  feel  at  home  ? 


No  one  of  course  is  expected  to  work  in  all  these  departments  ; 
if  you  have  any  preference,  please  indicate  it  on  this  line. 


When  you  have  filled  out  these  Circulars,  please  keep  one  and  return 
the  o:hcr,  through  the  boxes,  to  the  pastor, 

CHARLES  H.  PAYSON. 

The  Committee  on  Strangers  was  appointed,  as  the 
Circular  indicated,  "to  welcome  strangers  at  all  religious 
and  social  gatherings  and  to  make  them  feel  at  home." 
This  committee  was  greatly  assisted  in  its  work  by  the 
fact  that  the  chapel  seats  were  free. 

The  Committee  on  Employment,  at  the  close  of  the 
first  year,  reported  twenty  or  thirty  individuals  for  whom 
work  had  been  secured. 

The  Good  Samaritan  Committee  was  appointed  to 
provide  watchers  for  the  sick.  It  was  composed  entirely 
of  volunteers  from  the  chapel,  who  engaged  to  take  their 
turn  in  sitting  up  at  night  with  those  who  might  be  ill 
and  unable  to  provide  suitable  nurses  for  themselves  in 
any  other  way.  More  than  twenty  persons  volunteered 
at  once  to  undertake  this  most  exhausting  and  self-sacri- 
ficing work ;  and  during  the  first  year  of  its  organization 
more  than  one  hundred  nights  were  spent  by  the  faithful 
members  of  this  noble  band  beside  the  sick-beds  of  the 
poor  and  destitute.  Each  member  of  this  committee 
held  himself  or  herself  responsible  for  at  least  one  night 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  95 

in  every  month,  and  most  of  them,  it  must  be  added, 
were  poor,  hard-working  women.  Nor  is  this  work  a 
transient  one.  Nine  years  have  passed  away  since  the 
organization  of  this  committee,  and  yet  we  rre  told  that 
eighteen  out  of  the  twenty  or  thirty  still  remain,  who  can 
be  called  upon  at  any  time  to  "  watch  "  and  nurse  the 
sick.  There  is  no  other  organization,  perhaps,  connected 
with  the  chapel  that  can  more  effectually  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  its  self-denying  pastor  than  the  "  Good  Sa- 
maritan Committee  ;"  and  there  certainly  is  none  other 
whose  work  lies  more  directly  in  the  line  of  the  Master's 
eternal  reward  and  exalted  praise,  when  at  the  last  He 
shall  say,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the 
kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world." 

Thirty  or  more  in  frhe  same  year  united  with  the 
Committee  on  Family  Prayer- Meetings,  and  proved  both 
faithful  and  efficient  laborers  in  this  field.  These  meet- 
ings were  a  peculiar  feature  of  the  work  and  deserve 
especial  notice.  They  were  established  by  Mr.  Payson 
in  various  districts  among  his  congregation,  and  were 
held  in  private  houses,  where  from  six  to  thirty  individ- 
uals would  assemble  for  prayer  and  conference  on  such 
evenings  as  were  not  occupied  by  services  in  the  church. 
The  average  attendance  was  ten,  and,  in  some  years  at 
least,  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  were  thus  actively 
employed  in  what  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
effective  and  fruitful  agencies  connected  with  the  church. 
In  the  year  1866,  c.  g.,  fifteen  such  meetings  were  held 
in  various   localities  on  four  different  evenings  of  the 


96  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

week,  eight  of  which  were  conducted  by  gentlemen  and 
seven  by  ladies,  some  having  been  appointed  exclusively 
for  ladies.  Mr.  Payson  during  many  years  was  most  effi- 
ciently aided  in  the  oversight  of  these  services  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Young  People's  Association  of  the  Madison 
Square  Church,  and  the  responsibility  for  them  at  all 
times  necessarily  devolved  upon  others  than  himself. 
But  from  1861,  when  first  established  here,*  these  "Fam- 
ily Prayer-Meetings,"  or,  as  they  were  sometimes  called, 
"  Neigborhood  Prayer-Meetings,"  were  among  his  favor- 
ite means  of  reaching  the  masses  and  employing  the 
workers  of  his  church. 

The  work  of  the  Committee  on  Invitation  is  also  wor- 
thy of  special  remark.  The  vicinity  of  the  chapel  was 
thoroughly  districted,  and  all  families  not  attending 
church  were  invited  to  do  so.  A  large  number  of  the 
chapel  people,  who  had  not  previously  found  any  field  in 
which  to  labor,  were  thus  successfully  engaged  in  Chris- 
tian work.  In  the  winter  of  1869-70,  1,446  visits  were 
made,  153  adults  induced  to  attend  church,  and  65  chil- 
dren gathered  into  the  Sabbath-school.  In  1870-71,  for 
the  first  and  last  time  in  the  history  of  Mr.  Payson's  pas- 
torate, there  were  no  accessions  to  the  church  at  one  of 
the  regular  communion  seasons.f  This  roused  the 
members  to  new  activity.  District  visitation  was  pushed 
with  vigor.  Prayer  was  offered  without  ceasing  unto 
God,    and  in  January,    1871,   the   largest    number    (29) 

*  See  the  letter  on  p.  27. 

t  The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  at  which  applicants  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  church,  was  celebrated  every  second  month  throughout  the 
year. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  97 

ever  received  at  one  communion  were  admitted  to  the 
church.  One  man  is  reported  to  have  visited  regularly 
seventy  of  the  chapel  families,  making  for  himself  a  little 
parish  within  a  parish. 

In  i860  a  Young  People s  Prayer-Meeting  was  estab- 
lished, which  has  been  continued  ever  since.  The  Fe- 
male Prayer- Meeting,  begun  in  1864,  has  been  faithfully 
sustained. 

In  1869  the  German  Congregation  was  organized. 
Mr.  Payson's  visit  to  Germany  had  been  by  no  means 
thrown  away.  It  served  to  bring  him  into  active  sympa- 
thy with  a  large  and  most  interesting  part  of  our  city's 
population  ;  and  the  facility  in  the  use  of  the  German 
language  which  he  there  acquired  enabled  him  to  wield 
an  unusual  influence  over  the  Germans  in  his  vicinity. 
For  the  sake  of  retaining  their  children  in  the  Sabbath- 
school,  it  was  found  desirable  to  organize  a  separate  ser- 
vice for  the  adults,  and  for  this  purpose  to  secure  the 
assistance  of  a  German  pastor  who  should  preach  to  the 
people  in  their  own  language.  This  arrangement  was 
consummated  in  1869,  and  the  Rev.  Martin  A.  Erdmann 
was  invited  to  take  the  pastorate.  Since  that  time  he 
has  worked  most  faithfully,  except  when  failing  health 
rendered  it  impossible,  and  the  German  branch  under  his 
efficient  ministry  has  steadily  grown  in  strength  and 
numbers,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  tables  on  p. 
90,  until  now,  in  1877,  there  are  132  members. 

A  very  effectual  means  of  creating  an  esprit  du  corps 
among  the  members  of  the  chapel,  and  at  the  same  time 
promoting  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  church,  was  the 

9 


9 8  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

Prayer  Register,  introduced  early  in  1865.  It  was  Mr_ 
Payson's  own  device,  and  illustrates  perfectly  the  love  he 
bore  for  every  member  of  his  church,  and  the  strong  de- 
sire which  he  felt  that  all  should  be  united  in  the  firmest 
bonds  of  Christian  sympathy.  It  originated  in  his  own 
practice  of  praying  individually  for  each  member  of  his 
church  at  home,  and  has  been  productive  of  great  good, 
not  only  among  the  members  of  his  congregation,  but 
elsewhere  as  Christian  people  have  adopted  it.  The  fol- 
lowing extract  from  the  Register  in  use  during  1872-4 
will  serve  to  illustrate  its  form.  The  cover  and  first  two 
or  three  pages  are  here  transcribed,  and  it  will  be  noticed 
that,  after  the  pastors,  elders,  and  chapel  committee,  each 
member  of  the  church  is  assigned  a  day  in  which  to  be 
remembered  in  the  prayers  of  the  people  at  home.  It 
may  be  added,  that  after  the  names  of  church  members, 
were  appended  those  of  other  Christians  "  zvorsJiipping 
with  us,"  and  of  the  "children  of  the  church." 

PRAYER  REGISTER 

OF  THE  THIRD  AVENUE  BRANCH 

OF  THE 

Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church. 
1872,  '73.  '74. 


Without  ceasing  I  make  mention  of  you  always  in  my  prayers. 
Rom.  1  : 9. 

God  forbid  that  I  should  sin  against  the  Lord  in  ceasing  to  pray  for 
you.       1  Sam.  12 :  23. 

Again  I  say  unto  you,  That  if  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  as 
touching  anything  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.     Matt.  18  :  19. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  99 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  USE. 

I.  Fasten  this  Register  in  your  Bible,  so  that  you  will  see  it  every  time 
you  read  and  pray. 

II.  On  Sabbath-days  pray  for  the  church  as  a  whole. 

III.  On  week-days  pray  for  the  person  or  persons  whose  names  stand 
opposite  the  day  of  the  month,  with  the  exceptions  mentioned  in  the  next 
direction. 

IV.  The  exceptions  are  the  dates  against  which  stand  the  names  of 
deceased  members  in  italics.  On  these  days  render  thanks  to  God  for 
their  victory. 

V.  Besides  the  subjects  above  mentioned,  carefully  remember  the 
special  topics  for  each  day  of  the  week,  given  on  the  next  two  pages. 


TOPICS  FOR  EACH  WEEK. 


MONDAY. 


For  our  rulers,  national  and  state,  and  all  in  authority  and  places  of 
influence. 

TUESDAY. 

For  a  blessing  on  the  missionary  labors  of  Miss  Payson,  in  China, 
Mr.  Easterday,  in  Michigan;  and  on  the  missions  in  Zulu-land  and  Syria, 
towards  which  we  contribute.  Also  on  our  own  efforts  and  gifts,  and  on 
missions  in  general  at  home  and  abroad. 

WEDNESDAY. 

For  the  children  of  our  church  and  Sabbath  school,  that  God  will 
bless  parents  and  teachers  in  their  efforts  to  bring  them  speedily  to  know 
and  fear  the  Lord.    The  same  blessing  for  the  children  of  our  whole  land. 

THURSDAY. 

For  a  blessing  upon  Rev.  Mr.  Erdmann's  labors  among  the  Germans, 
and  that  God  will  raise  up  a  truly  evangelical  ministry  for  our  whole  Ger- 
man population. 

FRIDAY. 

For  our  church — for  the  sanctification  of  its  whole  membership,  for 
God's  direction  of  our  future,  for  the  parent  branch,  and  for  Christians  of 
every  name  and  place. 

SATURDAY. 

For  the  reformation  of  the  intemperate,  and  a  blessing  on  all  efforts 
to  promote  the  cause  of  Temperance  in  this  city  and  throughout  our  land. 


IOO 


ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 


Thursday,  January  4 


SUNDAY. 

For  a  blessing  upon  our  pastor  and  his  ministry,  and  on  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel  and  the  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible  everywhere. 

DATE — 1872.  NAMES. 

Monday,  January  I William  Adams,  D.  D. 

Tuesday.  January  2 Charles  H.  Pay  son. 

Wednesday,  January  3 Martin  A.  Erdmann. 

ELDERS  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

f  Robert  M.  Hartley. 

Tredwell  Ketchem. 

Oliver  E.  Wood. 

Ezra  M.  Kingsley. 
-j  George  \V.  Lane. 

John  F.  Trow. 

Charles  Collins. 

William  E.  Dodge,  Jr. 
[David  Wetmore. 

CHAPEL  COMMITTEE. 

f  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

D.  S.  Egleston. 
I  George  W.  Lane. 

William  E.  Dodge,  Jr. 
I  David  Wetmore. 

Joseph  Gillet. 

S.  W.  Coe. 

Z.  S.  Ely. 

Thatcher  M.  Adams. 

William  C.  Martin. 
{  S.  T.  Williams. 


Friday,  January  5 


Saturday,  January  6 James  Goodliff. 

Monday,  January  8-- {Henry  G.  W.  Cannon.) 

Tuesday,  January  9 Mary  Cannon. 

Wednesday,  January  10 Mary  M.  Belger. 

Thursday,  January  11 ( George  K.  Bntterfield.) 

In  the  Prayer  Register  for  1875,  for  the  sake  of  con- 
densation, since  the  membership  had  now  become  so 
large,  instead  of  appointing  a  separate  day  for  each  indi- 
vidual, a  single  day  for  an  entire  family  was  used. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  101 

Mr.  Payson  was  also  very  deeply  interested  in  the 
subject  of  Temperance,  as  in  every  other  practical  sub- 
ject which  Christian  workers  meet.  He  began  at  first 
to  favor  moderation  as  opposed  to  total  abstinence,  but 
before  many  years  was  convinced  that  the  only  effective 
way  to  save  intemperate  men  was  to  practise  and  to  preach 
Total  Abstinence.  All  efforts  for  reform  in  this  direc- 
tion, however,  he  believed  would  prove  in  vain  unless 
controlled  and  inspired  by  Christian  faith ;  and  the  Tem- 
perance movement  in  his  congregation  assumed  from  the 
first  the  form  of  a  church  movement.  In  1870  the 
"  Church  Temperance  Society "  was  organized,  and  the  fol- 
lowing Circular,  accompanied  by  a  Pledge,  was  sent  to 
every  member. 

Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth  :  .  .  .  .  ye  are  the  light  of  the  world. 
Matt.  5: 13,  14. 

If  meat  make  my  brother  to  offend,  I  will  eat  no  flesh  while  the  world 
standeth,  lest  I  make  my  brother  to  offend,     i  Cor.  8 :  13. 

"  Before  God  and  man,  before  the  church  and  the  world,  I  impeach 
intemperance.  I  charge  it  with  the  murder  of  innumerable  souls.  In  this 
country,  blessed  with  freedom  and  plenty,  the  word  of  God  and  the  liber- 
ties of  true  religion,  I  charge  it  as  the  cause — whatever  be  the  source  else- 
where— of  almost  all  the  poverty,  and  almost  all  the  crime,  and  almost  all 
the  ignorance,  and  almost  all  the  irreligion  that  disgrace  and  afflict  the 
land.  '  I  am  not  mad,  most  noble  Festus.  I  speak  the  words  of  truth 
and  soberness.'  I  do,  in  my  conscience,  believe  that  these  intoxicating 
stimulants  have  sunk  into  wretchedness  more  men  and  women  than  found 
a  grave  in  that  deluge  which  swept  over  the  highest  hilltops,  engulfing  a 
world  of  which  but  eight  were  saved."  rev.  thomas  guthrie. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  Mr.  Payson,  a  Temperance  Society,  on 
the  Total  Abstinence  basis,  has  been  organized  in  connection  with  the 
church  to  which  you  belong,  and  is  called  the  Church  Temperance 
Society.  All  are  cordially  welcomed  into  its  membership ;  but  it  was 
specially  designed  to  enlist  church-members,  of  whom  more  than  two  hun- 


102  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

dred  have  already  enrolled  themselves.  You,  as  a  CHURCH-MEM- 
BER, are  earnestly  invited  to  connect  yourself  with  the  Society,  and  to 
engage  heartily  in  the  promotion  of  its  objects.  If  you  are  prepared  to 
take  this  step,  please  sign  and  return  this  Pledge  without  delay,  in  the 
envelop  herewith  enclosed.  If  you  are  in  doubt  as  to  duty,  will  you  not 
seriously  consider  the  matter  and  decide  it  now?  Whether,  on  reflection, 
you  sign  the  Pledge  or  not,  be  kind  enough  to  return  it,  in  order  that  there 
may  be  no  doubt  as  to  your  having  received  it.  The  figures  in  red  ink  will 
indicate  whence  it  comes,  though  it  may  not  bear  your  signature.  Mem- 
bers are  not  subjected  to  taxes  of  any  kind. 

S.  T.  WILLIAMS, 

SECRETARY. 

The  results  of  this  movement  have  not  been  fully- 
reported.  Up  to  August  12,  1874,  when  the  society- 
numbered  one  tJionsand  and  seventy-two  members,  it  had 
had  a  constant  growth,  and  we  doubt  not  is  as  efficient 
and  useful  to-day  as  ever.  The  amount  of  good  accom- 
plished by  such  an  organization  is  of  course  incalculable. 
One  illustration  may  be  given. 

"  When  I  first  united  with  the  church,"  writes  one  of  its  members,  "  I 
was  in  the  liquor  business,  and  thought  it  all  right.  I  saw  other  people 
drinking,  and  reasoned  with  myself  that  some  one  must  sell  them  liquor 
if  they  would  drink,  until  one  Sabbath  morning  our  pastor  spoke  to  me 
about  the  Temperance  Pledge,  and  told  me  to  pray  over  it  and  see  if  the 
Lord  would  have  me  sign  it.  I  prayed  over  it  and  saw  no  way  to  get  out 
of  it.  I  was  convinced  that  I  should  sign  it,  and  did,  and  have  kept  it, 
and  shall,  by  God's  help,  till  I  die.  Mr.  Payson  took  great  interest  in  me 
and  helped  me  greatly,  not  so  much  in  pointing  out  the  evils  of  intemper- 
ance, as  by  showing  me  the  power  in  prayer  and  that  Jesus  cared  for  me, 
to  keep  me  and  help  me  at  all  times  and  by  all  means.  I  must  say  that 
Satan  comes  many  times  and  makes  the  way  so  smooth  to  go  back  to  the 
business,  not  to  drink,  but  to  sell ;  yet  the  Lord  is  strong,  and  he  will  keep 
me  to  the  end.  Much  may  have  been  lost  from  a  worldly  point  of  view, 
yet  the  Master  says  :  '  In  the  present  time  joy,  and  in  the  world  to  come 
life  everlasting.'" 

The  Woodlawn  Association,  organized  November, 
1 87 1,  was  most  wisely  designed  by  Mr.  Payson  to  meet 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  103 

very  great  need  of  his  growing  congregation.  The 
number  of  deaths  among  its  members  was  becoming 
larger  every  year,  and  it  was  found  that  the  parent 
church  could  not  always  provide  that  aid  which  was 
sometimes  necessary  on  occasion  of  burying  the  dead 
from  families  connected  with  the  chapel.  Accordingly, 
to  relieve  the  poor  and  protect  the  rich,  a  church  mutual 
life-insurance  company  was  devised,  which  was  governed 
by  the  following  by-laws,  among  others  : 

(1.)  Adults  may  become  members  by  the  payment  of  fifty  cents,  chil- 
dren twenty-five  cents. 

(2.)  On  the  death  of  an  adult  member,  the  Association  will  pay  $50; 
of  a  child,  at  least  $25,  towards  the  funeral  expenses. 

(3.)  At  each  death  an  assessment  will  be  made  on  each  member  not 
exceeding  fifty  cents  for  an  adult,  and  twenty-five  cents  for  a  child. 

(4.)  Any  member  failing  to  pay  the  assessment  within  three  weeks  of 
notice  forfeits  all  the  privileges  of  the  Association,  and  can  be  restored 
only  upon  payment  of  arrearages  and  by  vote  of  the  managers.  .  .  . 

(9.)  No  person  shall  become  a  member  unless  he  or  she  is  a  total 
abstainer  from  intoxicating  drinks.  .  .  . 

The  affairs  of  the  Association  are  conducted  by  a 
Board  of  Managers  elected  annually,  and  consisting  of 
nine  adult  members,  who  elect  from  their  number  a 
president,  secretary,  and  treasurer.  They  meet  once  a 
month  for  business.  If  a  death  occurs,  they  vote  an 
assessment.  They  receive  all  propositions  for  member- 
ship, and  decide  upon  them  by  vote.  The  assessments 
thus  far  have  averaged  a  little  less  than  three  a  year.  At 
the  commencement  there  were  197  members,  of  whom  39 
were  minors.  During  the  first  two  years  the  Association 
increased  rapidly  in  numbers,  and  since  then  has  gained 
(net)  only  three  or  four  each  year.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  about  260,  of  whom  60  are  minors,  so  that  an 


104  ALL  F0R  CHRIST. 

assessment  raises  about  $115.  It  has  proved  a  very  great 
help  to  those  in  trouble.  It  comes  with  relief  when  this 
is  most  needed  in  the  families  of  the  poor.  Just  when 
they  are  in  deepest  want  of  sympathy  and  aid,  this  sim- 
ple but  most  efficient  agency  provides  the  indispensable 
assistance  which  they  seek.  It  has  already  commended 
itself  for  adoption  in  other  churches  in  the  city  and  vicin- 
ity, and  is  admirably  adapted  for  the  good  designed. 

Another  very  efficient  means  of  doing  good  is  the 
Employment  Society*  which  has  continued  its  efforts  un- 
remittingly for  seventeen  years,  since  October,  i860, 
when  it  was  organized  to  furnish  sewing  to  the  needy 
who  cannot  obtain  it  otherwise,  and  to  provide  substan- 
tial clothing  for  the  poor  at  cost.  The  expenses  are  de- 
frayed by  various  members  of  the  church.  The  plan  is 
to  purchase  cloth,  and  pay  the  women  for  making  it  up 
into  garments,  which  are  then  sold  very  cheaply  to  those 
whose  occupation  is  such  as  forbids  their  making  them 
for  themselves,  and  who  can  buy  them  for  less  money 
here  than  elsewhere.  Some  wealthy  and  benevolent 
families  have  frequently  had  their  sewing  done  by  this 
society.  In  1870,  $700  were  expended  for  material,  and 
forty  women  provided  weekly  with  employment ;  in  1865, 
$360  were  laid  out,  and  forty  or  fifty  individuals  furnished 
with  at  least  seventy-five  cents'  worth  of  work  to  do  each 
week  for  several  months.  These  facts  may  serve  to  illus- 
trate the  work  of  the  society. 

*  The  Employmeiit  Society  and  Industrial  School  did  not  originate 
with  Mr.  Payson,  but  were  conducted  and  supported  from  the  first  by  the 
generous  efforts  of  ladies  from  the  Madison  Square  Church.  This  brief 
description  of  their  methods  of  work  may  be  found  useful  in  other  fields. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  105 

The  Industrial  School,  organized  in  1857-8,  and  faith- 
fully continued  every  Saturday  in  the  winters  for  nine- 
teen years,  is  justly  considered  one  of  the  most  practical 
parts  of  the  work.  Its  object  is  to  instruct  the  girls  of 
the  chapel  Sunday-school  in  sewing,  and,  if  possible,  to 
fit  them  for  self-support  with  the  needle — a  result  which 
in  some  cases  has  been  attained.  In  1865,  two  hundred 
scholars  and  twenty  teachers  were  in  regular  attendance, 
and  four  hundred  and  sixty-three  garments  were  made  by 
the  children  and  given  to  them  at  a  cost  of  $527  for 
material.  The  largest  attendance  has  been  three  hun- 
dred ;  but  during  the  past  three  years  the  numbers  have 
been  considerably  less,  as  many  of  the  older  scholars 
have  been  compelled  to  aid  in  the  support  of  the  family 
during  the  general  depression  in  business. 

For  the  purpose  of  instructing  the  children  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  Bible,  Mr.  Payson  had  a  Catechetical 
class,  which  for  several  years,  towards  the  close  of  his 
life,  met  each  week  at  the  chapel  to  study  the  Westmin- 
ster Shorter  Catechism.  His  remarkable  power  of  adapt- 
ing himself  to  children,  which  rendered  his  monthly 
addresses  to  the  Sabbath-school  most  entertaining  and 
instructive,  enabled  him  also  to  deeply  interest  even  the 
youngest  of  this  class  in  the  dry  technicalities  of  that 
admirable  formula  of  faith.  A  large  number  of  expect- 
ant children  were  sure  to  be  found  awaiting  him  at  the 
appointed  hour  on  Thursday  afternoon  ;  and  though  the 
record  of  the  other  years  is  not  complete,  we  may  accept 
the  statement  of  his  journal,  that  in  1873-4  "there  was 
an  average  attendance  of  eighty  out  of  a  total  member- 


106  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

ship  of  one  hundred  and  twenty,"  as  affording  a  glimpse 
of  the  amount  of  work  accomplished  in  this  way.  It  was 
Mr.  Payson's  custom,  at  the  close  of  the  year,  to  present 
each  member  of  this  class  with  a  potted  plant  or  flower, 
or  a  picture,  or  Testament,  and  the  attachment  between 
the  pastor  and  this  little  group  in  the  nursery  became 
oftentimes  very  strong. 

The  Bible  readers,  connected  with  the  chapel  almost 
from  the  first,  have  been  very  useful.  Ladies  can  some- 
times gain  access  to  families  where  even  the  best  of  pas- 
tors fail,  and  the  amount  of  pastoral  work  required  in  a 
mission  field  so  large  as  this  is  at  all  times  far  too  great 
for  any  one  person  to  perform.  Mr.  Payson  was  ably 
assisted  by  some  of  the  most  faithful  Bible  readers  New 
York  has  ever  known  ;  and  although  he  made  pastoral 
visits  every  afternoon*  in  the  week,  he  found  the  assist- 
ance rendered  by  these  judicious  and  excellent  Christian 
women  of  very  great  importance  in  his  work.  They  car- 
ried aid  and  comfort  to  many  homes,  where,  owing  to  the 
multiplicity  of  his  engagements,  the  pastor  could  not  go, 
and  at  a  time  when  just  such  aid  perhaps  was  indispen- 
sable. It  is  a  humble  and  a  hidden  work,  this  noble 
work  of  Christian  Bible  women  in  New  York  ;  but  though 
it  has  no  record  here  upon  the  books  of  men,  the  Master 
has  recorded  it  above. 

Besides  the  means  and  methods  now  enumerated, 
some  of  which  deserve  a  more  extended  notice  than  can 
be  given  here,  Mr.  Payson  brought  into  frequent  use  all 

*  Except  Friday,  when  he  was  at  the  chapel  to  meet  any  who  might 
wish  to  converse  with  him. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  icy 

those  innocent  social  influences  which  prove  to  be  the 
handmaidens  of  the  church,  and  serve  to  make  a  people 
at  once  more  sympathetic  and  efficient.  Sociables  and 
tea-parties,  fairs*  and  festivals,  singing  schools,  lectures, 
concerts,  readings,  stereopticon  exhibitions — everything 
of  the  kind  which  could  instruct  or  edify  while  it  amused, 
found  cordial  sympathy  and  active  support  with  him. 
Indeed,  it  was  on  such  occasions  that  Mr.  Payson  was 
most  thoroughly  at  home  with  his  people.  His  sympa- 
thetic nature  and  hearty  enthusiasm  for  every  innocent 
enjoyment  "contagiously  inspired  all  he  met."  There 
was  the  most  thoughtful  consideration  for  every  one 
with  whom  he  spoke — a  kind  word,  a  winning  smile,  or  a 
sparkling  witticism,  which  threw  new  life  into  every  so- 
cial gathering  of  the  church. 

"  The  poorest  and  the  most  forlorn,"  it  has  been  truly  said,  '"  were  as 
thoroughly  assured  of  his  effective  sympathy  as  were  the  most  virtuous, 
intelligent,  and  wealthy.  No  one  could  be  too  poor  or  too  ignorant,  if 
there  was  room  in  his  heart  for  Christian  love.  .  .  .  Though  his  power  in 
the  pulpit  was  truly  winning  and  commanding,  it  was  preeminently  great 
in  social  intercourse  with  his  people." 

And  this  was  perhaps  nowhere  more  apparent  than 
in  the  weekly  meetings  for  prayer  and  conference.  They 
were  very  informal.  Every  one  was  encouraged  to  speak 
or  pray;  even  the  ladies  at  times  took  part,  by  sending  a 
written  note  to  the  pastor,  although  this  was  not  fre- 
quently the  case.  One  of  the  members  of  his  church 
writes : 

He  was  the  life  of  the  prayer-meetings.  His  prayers  were  wonder- 
ful.    He  would  enter  into  the  service  with  deep  feeling,  as  though  he  had 

*  At  which  there  was  no  raffling. 


ioS  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

come  straight  from  the  throne  of  grace,  and  each  heart  would  be  wanned 
by  his  good  influence.  Many,  indeed,  have  come  to  the  meetings  time  and 
again,  feeling  unhappy  because  the  burden  of  sin  or  care  weighed  heavily ; 
and  a  few  words  from  our  dear  pastor  helped  to  lift  the  weight  from  every 
heart,  for  he  always  taught  us  the  words  of  Christ,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye 
that  labor  and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."  After  meeting 
he  would  stand  at  the  door  and  personally  greet  each  one  as  they  passed 
out ;  and  then  would  wait  on  those  remaining  to  see  him,  and  administer 
to  them  spiritual  comfort  such  as  they  might  need.  His  remarks  upon  the 
subject  of  the  meeting  were  very  refreshing  and  instructive.  I  believe  that 
God  always  gave  him  the  right  words  to  utter,  for  his  heart  was  continu- 
ally overflowing  with  a  feast  of  precious  truths  for  his  people.  Oh,  how 
many  times  have  I  left  the  prayer-meeting  with  feelings  which  I  did  not 
take  into  it — precious  thoughts  about  the  Saviour's  love  and  mercy,  and 
resolutions  to  strive  more  earnestly  to  love  and  honor  the  dear  Lord.  If 
anything  he  suggested  to  us  appeared  difficult  to  perform,  he  always  led 
the  way ;  and  in  the  neighborhood  prayer-meetings  our  dear  pastor  would 
call  in  unexpectedly  (for  on  some  evenings  as  many  as  three  were  often 
held)  to  give  a  word  of  advice,  comfort,  or  cheer.  When  the  dreadful 
news  of  his  death  came  to  us,  we  felt  cast  down  and  bewildered,  for  we 
have  lost  one  who  loved  our  souls'  welfare  better  than  his  own  life. 

But  there  was  one  service  at  the  chapel  which  was 
peculiarly  his  own.  The  exercises  on  TJianksgivin^  day 
were  unique.  They  were  of  the  simplest  possible  nature, 
and  so  full  of  prayer  and  praise,  that  no  man  not  a  mis- 
anthrope could  fail  to  have  his  heart  enkindled  by  attend- 
ing one.  The  pastor  carried  his  loving  Christian  enthu- 
siasm into  this  meeting  more  cordially,  if  possible,  than 
into  any  other  of  the  year.  There  was  no  formal  ser- 
mon. Experience  had  shown  that  it  was  of  little  use. 
The  people  would  not  come  to  hear  it.  But  they  came 
very  eagerly  to  such  a  service  as  this.  There  was  a 
hymn  of  praise,  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving,  the  reading  of 
a  few  brief  written  testimonials  of  what  the  Lord  had 
done  in  blessing  one  and  another,  and  then  in  rapid  suc- 
cession twenty  or  thirty  individuals  would  rise  and  tell 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  109 

what  favors  Providence  had  given  them,  their  families, 
and  friends,  the  church,  the  Sunday-school  class,  their 
home,  their  own  souls,  until  the  spirit  of  praise  was  seek- 
ing utterance  in  every  heart,  and  the  entire  congrega- 
tion turned  away  reluctantly  from  such  a  feast  of  good 
things. 

These  meetings  were  always  full.  They  were  eagerly 
anticipated,  and  gratefully  remembered  for  many  a  day. 
The  fervent  faith  of  humble  souls,  the  glowing  love  of 
thankfulness,  the  sincere  joy  of  gratitude,  the  tearful 
penitence  for  misspent  days,  unkind  remarks,  ungracious 
thoughts  and  ways,  all  found  a  free  expression  in  these 
yearly  meetings  of  the  church,  when,  like  a  Christian 
family,  pastor  and  people  met  to  tell  their  joys  and  raise 
memorial  stones  of  praise.  It  is  impossible  to  gather  up 
again  and  reproduce  in  formal  words  the  sweetness  and 
gladness  of  those  bright  hours.  To  more  than  one  weary 
heart  they  were  like  a  boyhood's  vacation.  They  broke 
the  fetters  of  dull  routine,  and  opened  a  whole  summer 
of  rest  and  sunshine  through  the  hour  of  simple  faith  and 
thankful  recollection. 

One  member  of  the  church  kept  a  "  Thanksgiving- 
book,"  in  which  he  recorded  whatever  he  had  to  be  grate- 
ful for  throughout  the  year,  and  on  Thanksgiving  day 
would  read  from  this  diary  of  his  best  things  the  an- 
swers to  prayer,  the  unexpected  blessings  of  Providence, 
and  the  bright,  glad  days  which  threw  their  sunlight  on 
his  path. 

Another,  last  Thanksgiving,  thrilled  the  meeting  by 

his  simple  talc  of  want  and  thankfulness. 

10 


no  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

"  One  year  ago,"  he  said,  "  the  days  looked  bright  and  fair,  and  I 
hoped  for  a  prosperous  year  in  my  business.  But  these  have  been  hard 
times.  I  have  had  no  work  to  do,  and  I  cou'.d  not  find  any  to  do,  though 
I  looked  for  it  everywhere.  My  wife  was  taken  sick,  and  then  the  baby 
was  taken  sick,  and  we  thought  it  would  die  ;  and  I  had  to  stay  at  home 
and  walk  the  floor  by  day  and  night  with  that  child  in  my  arms,  praying 
that  the  Lord  would  spare  it,  if  it  was  his  will.  And  he  did  spare  it,  and 
I  believe  it  was  in  answer  to  my  prayer.  And  I  want  to  thank  the  Lord 
to-day  for  this  great  blessing.  I  never  knew  before  how  dear  my  home  is 
to  me,  and  how  sweet  and  good  my  children  are.  I  don't  say  this  to 
boast.  I  dare  say  I  have  no  better  things  than  others  of  us  have  ;  but  I 
do  thank  God  that  he  has  let  me  be  at  home  so  much  this  year,  and  given 
me  my  child  again  in  answer  to  my  prayer." 

Those  who  could  not  "  speak  in  meeting" — the  ladies 
who  observed  the  Presbyterian  injunction  so  often  attrib- 
uted to  St.  Paul,  and  other  members  of  the  church  whose 
diffidence  or  inexperience  deterred  them  from  taking 
other  part — sent  letters  to  the  pastor  on  that  day,  from 
which  he  chose  the  most  appropriate  to  read.  The  wri- 
ters all  were  known  to  him,  and  he  never  failed  to  give 
the  letters  as  he  read  them  the  life  and  fervor  of  that 
grateful  love  in  which  they  had  been  penned.  The 
meeting  would  be  often  thrilled  by  these  brief  testimo- 
nies to  the  good  and  loving  providence  of  God. 

A  poor  old  washerwoman  whose  son  was  miserably 
vicious  and  dissolute,  wrote  : 

I  can  thank  God  this  Thanksgiving  day  for  all  his  kind  mercy  to  me 
during  the  past  year.  I  do  thank  him,  for  he  has  given  me  health  and 
strength  and  many  blessings,  and  he  has  answered  my  prayers  in  so  many 
ways.  I  would  ask  you  to  help  me  to  pray  for  my  son  that  he  may  be 
brought  to  Christ  and  be  saved.  I  have  faith  to  believe  that  the  Lord 
can  and  will  save  in  his  own  good  time. 

Another,  whose  early  life  was  very  vain  and  frivolous, 
but  who  had  been  disciplined  and  sobered  and  made  use- 
ful in  her  home  by  severe  trials,  writes  : 


METHODS  AND  MEANS,  nx 

I  can  thank  God  for  this  Thanksgiving  day,  and  I  do  praise  and 
thank  him  for  all  the  blessings  he  has  bestowed  on  me  and  my  family  this 
past  year.  Although  I  have  had  trials  and  losses,  yet  the  Lord  has 
blessed  me  through  them  all,  and  wonderfully  blessed  me.  The  Lord's 
promise  to  his  children  is,  "  When  thou  passest  through  the  waters  I  will 
be  with  thee,  and  through  the  rivers  they  shall  not  overflow  thee ;  when 
thou  walkest  through  the  fire  thou  shalt  not  be  burned,  neither  shall  the 
flame  kindle  upon  thee."     Isa.  43 :  2. 

A  very  poor  widow,  whose  long  life  of  sixty  years 
has  been  spent  in  constant  poverty,  sent  the  following : 

Better  is  a  little  with  righteousness,  than  great  revenues  without  right. 
Better  is  the  poor  that  walketh  in  his  integrity,  than  he  that  is  perverse 
in  his  lips.     I  thank  thee,  O  Lord,  for  all  thy  blessings. 

"  My  dear  pastor,"  writes  another,  "  help  me  to  render  thanks  that  I 
have  the  sweet  hope  that  my  dear  husband  and  my  six  children  are  trav- 
elling with  me  to  our  better  home I  thank  God  with  all  my  heart 

for  the  many  blessings  received,  the  prayers  answered,  and  especially  that 
he  has  so  increased  my  trust  in  him  within  the  past  few  days." 

One,  whose  family  and  herself  had  been  converted 
from  a  Sabbath-breaking,  irreligious  life,  says  : 

I  cannot  express  in  words  the  gratitude  I  feel  in  my  heart  to  my 
Heavenly  Father  for  his  great  love  to  me  and  mine.  We  were  once  walk- 
ing in  darkness,  but  I  now  rejoice  that  we  are  an  undivided  family,  trav- 
elling in  the  narrow  way  that  leads  to  everlasting  light.  My  prayer  is 
that  we  may  all  prove  faithful,  and  be  found  among  the  "multitude  whom 
no  man  can  number  "  around  the  throne. 

Still  another  says  :  I  fear  all  the  people  together  cannot  praise  him  as 
I  would  like  to,  for  our  new  church,  our  many  blessings  as  a  church,  the 
deep  religious  interest  in  the  church  for  which  I  have  longed  and  prayed, 
and  above  all,  that  God  has  been  so  good  as  to  allow  me  to  help  to  bring 
souls  into  his  kingdom.  Pray  that  he  will  use  me  yet  more  to  his  honor 
and  glory.  For  the  kind  friends  he  has  given  me,  and  for  his  help  in 
peculiar  trials,  and — if  I  should  go  on  to  mention  my  causes  for  thankful- 
ness, I  should  take  up  the  whole  time. 

"  I  travel  on,  not  knowing, 

I  would  not  if  I  might ; 
'Tis  better  to  walk  in  the  dark  with  God, 

Than  by  myself  in  the  light. 
'T  is  better  to  walk  with  him  by  faith, 

Than  to  walk  alone  by  sight." 


ii2  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

Please  accept  the  small  sum  enclosed  in  silence.     I  wanted  to  do  a 
little  for  Him  who  has  done  so  muck  for  me. 

The  allusion  in  this  last  is  to  the  habit  of  the  people 
of  contributing  from  their  poverty  toward  the  wants  of 
others  yet  more  needy  than  themselves,  that  the  Lord 
might  help  them  all  to  keep  Thanksgiving  day.  Nothing 
could  have  been  farther  from  their  mind  than  that  these 
facts  and  words  should  ever  reach  a  public  eye.  They 
gave  as  unto  the  Lord  and  not  as  unto  men,  and  the 
spirit  of  the  whole  is  illustrated  by  the  spirit  of  these 
few.  But  no  other  way  seems  open  of  clearly  showing 
what  those  bright  Thanksgiving  days  became  to  them. 
Under  the  inspiration  of  their  pastor's  leadership,  whose 
life  was  full  of  thankfulness  and  faith,  they  made  those 
hours  "  conjubilant  with  song."  No  other  meeting  seemed 
so  near  to  heaven,  except  perhaps  the  glad  and  solemn 
service  of  communion.  But  here  they  learned  the  secret 
of  that  truth  which  Christians  far  too  often  overlook, 
"  The  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength,"  and  here  Thanks- 
giving day  began  each  year. 

In  illustration  of  the  way  in  which  the  various  agen- 
cies referred  to  were  employed  it  may  be  interesting  to 
glance  at  the  following 

SUMMARY  OF  ONE  WEEK'S  WORK,  1868. 

7.  Sunday.  i.  Sunday-school  Prayer-meeting. 

2.  Sunday-school. 

3.  Church  Service. 

4.  Children's  Singing  Meeting. 

5.  Boys'  and  Girls'  Meeting. 

6.  Bible  Class  and  Monthly  Teachers'  Prayer-meeting. 

7.  Church  Service. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  113 

4.  MONDAY.  Four  Family  Prayer-meetings.* 

4.  Tuesday.  i.  Young  Ladies'  Prayer-meeting.1 

2.  Employment  Society. 

3.  Service  of  Song. 

4.  Church  Prayer-meeting. 

4.  Wednesday,    i.  Young  Ladies'  Prayer-meeting.t 

2.  Three  Family  Prayer-meetings.* 
2.  THURSDAY.       i.  Female  Prayer-meeting  (afternoon,. 

2.  Church  Prayer-meeting  (evening). 
4.  Friday.  i.  Young  Ladies'  Prayer-meeting.t 

2.  Three  Family  Prayer-meetings.* 
1.  Saturday.        i.  Industrial  School. 

26  Services. 

In  the  next  year  it  will  be  remarked  the  German  ser- 
vices were  added — two  preaching  services  on  Sunday, 
and  two  prayer-meetings  during  the  week ;  also  the 
Young  People's  Prayer-meeting  Sunday  evening  before 
church,  and  the  Catechetical  Class  on  Thursdays,  ma- 
king in  all  six  services  not  enumerated  above. 

The  Rev.  Wm.  Hutton  of  Philadelphia,  who  during 
his  seminary  course,  was  for  a  time  associated  with  Mr. 
Payson  as  visitor  in  this  field,  writes  : 

He  was  truly  consecrated  to  his  work — the  work  of  preaching  the 
gospel  to  the  poor.  Difficult,  indeed,  it  was  in  many  respects,  but  how 
consistently  and  conscientiously  did  he  perform  it !  How  much  of  physi- 
cal endurance,  patience,  sympathy,  and  faith  is  demanded  of  those  engaged 
in  the  self-denying  work  of  a  New  York  missionary  pastor,  none  can  com- 
prehend unless  familiar  with  the  work.  ...  As  a  preacher  he  was  emi- 
nently practical.  His  preaching  was  adapted  to  his  hearers.  He  fed  his 
people,  not  upon  "  happy  turns  "  of  thought  or  expression,  but  upon  the 
sincere  milk  of  the  Word.  He  was  little  exercised  about  "  rounded  peri- 
ods," but  very  anxious  about  reaching  souls.  And  God  gave  him  goodly 
wages — how  many  souls  were  led  by  him  to  Jesus !  His  prayers  were 
remarkable.  Critics  might  say  they  were  too  familiar.  A  man  must  live 
very  near  the  Master  to  offer  such  prayers.  By  them  he  led  his  people  to 
regard  Jesus  as  a  very  dear  and  sympathizing  friend — just  what  He  is.    At 

*  The  number  of  family  prayer-meetings  varied  from  year  to  year, 
t  Three  different  services  of  this  kind  were  held  each  week. 

SI 


ii4  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

the  last  interview  had  in  New  York  during  the  progress  of  the  Moody 
and  Sankey  meetings,  he  was  rejoicing  in  the  return  to  home,  to  temper- 
ance, and  to  God  of  certain  ones  for  whom  he  had  been  specially  laboring. 

The  following  reminiscences  by  an  intimate  friend 
may  also  be  interesting  in  this  connection,  as  serving  to 
illustrate  the  truthful  remark  of  the  preceding  writer 
that  he  was  little  exercised  about  "rounded  periods,"  but 
very  anxious  about  reaching  souls. 

Mr.  Payson  had,  I  think,  an  excellent  command  of  language  and  a 
lively  imagination,  so  that,  if  he  had  been  greatly  ambitious  to  obtain  celeb- 
rity as  a  writer,  or  had  made  it  his  chief  aim  in  life  to  secure  literary  re- 
nown, he  might  have  attained  considerable  eminence  in  "  the  world  of 
letters."  But  desire  for  the  applause  of  men  was  very  far  from  being 
uppermost  in  his  thoughts.  His  heart  was  so  busied  always  with  "  adding 
to  his  virtue  brotherly  kindness,  and  to  brotherly  kindness  charity,"  so 
overflowing  with  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate  and  unhappy  and  tempted 
ones  who  crossed  his  path,  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  him  to 
be  satisfied  with  immuring  himself  in  his  study,  and  devoting  his  time  to 
the  preparation  of  elegant  discourses.  How  could  he  sit  there  quietly 
choosing  felicitous  expressions  for  next  Sunday's  sermons,  rewriting  and 
rearranging  a  sentence  here  and  a  passage  there,  choosing  fine  flowers  of 
poesy  and  beautiful  rhetorical  figures,  when  the  messenger  from  some 
poor,  forlorn  member  of  his  flock,  a  washerwoman,  perhaps,  with  a  sick 
husband  and  a  dying  babe,  who  begged  him  to  come  and  pray  with  her. 
was  waiting  for  him  just  outside  the  study-door  ! 

And  next  day  perhaps  it  was  a  bright-eyed  boy,  the  baker's  son,  who 
needed  consolation.  Three  days  ago  he  had  fallen  from  the  cart  and  broken 
his  leg,  and  when  the  sermon  was  only  half  finished,  there  was  a  timid 
knock  at  the  door,  and  the  boy's  sister  appeared,  who  told  how,  ever  since 
the  accident,  the  boy  had  done  nothing  but  moan  and  beg  to  have  Mr. 
Payson  sent  for,  declaring  that  no  one  else  could  comfort  him  as  the  min- 
ister could.  And  he  must  go  ;  be  the  discourse  a  polished  and  elegant 
one  or  not,  there  must  not  remain  uncomforted  a  single  sorrowing  or 
afflicted  one  among  his  congregation,  if  any  word  or  act  of  his  can  bring 
them  consolation. 

Hardly  has  the  happy  sister  left  the  door,  bearing  the  good  news  that 
the  minister  will  call  and  see  Johnny  that  very  afternoon,  when  it  opens 
again  and  admits  that  poor  inebriate,  who  signed  the  pledge  last  week  for 
the  third  time,  and  who  means  to  keep  it  now,  if  it  kills  him.     That  very 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  115 

morning  he  had  been  most  sorely  tempted  to  join  his  boon  companions  in 
just  one  more  social  glass,  and  he  had  almost  yielded — was  suffering  still 
from  the  agonizing  conflict  through  which  he  had  passed,  and  there  seemed 
no  haven  of  refuge  for  the  tortured  soul  like  the  pastor's  study.  And  was 
the  door  of  that  to  be  closed  upon  him  ?  By  no  means !  This  large-heart- 
ed, loving-hearted  man  forgets  that  he  has  a  sermon  to  write — has  no 
thought  of  anything  but  the  forlorn  and  sorrowing  brother-man  who  sits 
by  his  side,  struggling  so  heroically  with  the  demon  of  a  depraved  appe- 
tito.  An  hour  passes — two  hours  perhaps  ;  they  take  no  note  of  time 
those  two --the  one  eager  to  impart  help  and  strength  and  consolation, 
the  other  so  intensely  eager  to  secure  the  needed  help  and  strength.  And 
secure  it  he  does.  You  saw  him  enter  perhaps  pallid,  weak,  and  trem- 
bling ;  he  goes  forth  looking  almost  like  a  different  being,  dignified,  erect, 
and  manly,  and  trusting,  not  in  himself,  but  in  the  Lord,  for  strength. 
And  it  was  the  pastor  who  uttered  the  words  of  encouragement,  who  gave 
the  kind  advice,  who  offered  the  fervent  prayer,  which  were  the  instru- 
ments in  God's  hands  of  bringing  salvation  to  that  poor  man's  soul.  Al- 
ready had  the  angels  who  were  hovering  over  the  hallowed  spot  flown 
heavenward  with  the  glad  tidings  that  another  sinner  had  become  repent- 
ant. But  the  sermon  that  might  have  been  so  polished  and  finished  a 
discourse — the  sermon  which  was  neglected  that  the  feet  of  a  sin-stricken 
wanderer  might  be  set  to  walking  the  heavenly  road — that  is  still  uncom- 
pleted. The  pastor  must  extemporize  the  rest.  He  will  finish  the  arrange- 
ment of  it  in  his  mind  to-morrow,  if  he  is  not  interrupted  before  he  goes 
to  officiate  at  the  funeral  of  the  washerwoman's  baby. 

And  what  if  men  did  not  applaud !  What  if  other  men's  sermons 
were  more  carefully  and  elegantly  written,  and  brought  more  fame  to  those 
who  penned  them  !  His  saved  men's  souls  ;  and  that  is  enough.  His  at 
least  told  the  simple  story  of  the  Cross  in  words  that  touched  men's 
hearts,  and  won  them  to  the  truth  ;  and  for  what  better  or  higher  results 
of  preaching  can  we  ask  ?     The  thought  was  doubtless  often  in  his  mind, 

"The  Master  praises  !  what  are  men  ? 
Go  labor  on — enough,  while  here, 
If  he  shall  praise  me — if  he  deign 

My  willing  heart  to  mark  and  cheer; 
No  toil  for  him  shall  be  in  vain." 

One  other  fact  deserves  brief  mention  here.  In  pre- 
paring his  sermons  for  Sabbath  morning,  Mr.  Payson  for 
many  years  previous  to  his  death  followed  a  "  course." 
Fully  two-thirds  of  his  sermons  were  prepared  either 
upon  some  book  of  the  Old  or  New  Testament,  or  upon 


u6  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

a  topic,  such  as  The  Life  of  Christ,  or  The  Life  of  the 
Church.  Beginning  in  1862  with  the  Old  Testament,  he 
preached — 


25! 

sermons 

upon 

,  the  book  of  Daniel. 

16 

" 

" 

"         Ezra. 

J3 

it 

a 

"          Esther. 

8 

11 

11 

"          Nehemiah. 

76 

11 

11 

"         Ephesians. 

22 

11 

11 

Parables. 

14 

(i 

<l 

Confession  of  Faith. 

25 

11 

it 

Names  of  Christ. 

293 

11 

11 

Life  of  Christ. 

98 

11 

" 

Life  of  the  Church.* 

4i 

11 

11 

various  topics,  Baptism,  Easter,  etc. 

63^ 

Total 

« 

special  subjects. 

473 

II 

ti 

general       " 

1,104    Total  number  of  written  discourses  in  seventeen  years.1 

The  remarks  with  which  he  prefaced  his  last  sermon 
upon  the  Life  of  Christ,  July  19,  1874,  show  his  own  esti- 
mate of  this  method.  "  It  is  seven  years  to-day,"  he  says, 
"  since  we  began  the  study  of  the  Life  of  Christ.  .  .  . 
How  well  I  recall  the  fear  and  hesitancy  with  which  I 
entered  upon  this  work  after  weeks  of  prayer  and  delib- 
eration. How  could  I  hope  to  interest  and  instruct  in 
studying  themes  familiar  from  your  childhood  ?  But 
each  succeeding  year  has  more  and  more  impressed  me 
with  the  inexhaustible  richness  of  God's  word.  To-day  I 
should  not  fear  to  begin  these  very  books  again,  and  feel 
sure  that  at  every  step  through  the  Holy  Scriptures  we 
should  find  new  revelations  to  stir  and  gladden  our  hearts. 

*  He  was  engaged  upon  this  course  when  he  died,  and  was  following 
history  in  the  book  of  Acts. 

t  Extemporaneous  or  unwritten  sermons  are  not  included  in  this  list 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  1 1 7 

"  But  if  with  hesitancy  I  began,  it  is  with  greater 
reluctance  that  I  close.  How  have  I  found  myself  in- 
stinctively clinging  to  these  last  verses,  and  wondering  if 
ever  I  could  give  them  up  !  And  the  steady  attendance 
and  attention  through  all  these  years  assure  me  that  you 
have  sympathized  with  me  in  my  feelings  about  this  pre- 
cious history.  Thank  God,  it  is  of  this  same  Jesus  we 
shall  study  wherever  we  turn  in  the  Bible.  The  same 
Holy  Spirit  who  has  blessed  us  in  the  past,  will  he  not 
help  us  in  the  future  ?" 

In  closing  this  chapter,  we  may  call  attention  to  the 
appreciative  words  of  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Roe,  the  celebrated 
author,  who,  in  a  recent  communication  to  the  "  New 
York  Tribune,"  says  concerning  Mr.  Payson : 

He  was  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  successful  workers  among  the 
masses  that  it  was  ever  my  good  fortune  to  meet,  and  I  am  far  from  being 
alone  in  the  belief  that  the  labors  of  only  a  few  others  in  his  calling  have 
been  crowned  with  results  more  pleasing  to  God  than  his.  He  was  one  of 
whom  the  world  heard  little ;  but  if  it  be  true  that  the  angels  rejoice 
"  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,"  his  name,  as  that  of  one  of  God's  most 
faithful  and  zealous  servants,  was  honored  in  heaven.  For  many  years  he 
made  his  chapel  a  home,  a  refuge,  a  place  where  thousands  found  the 
courage  to  enter  upon  the  Christian  life.  But  the  power  and  success  of 
his  ministry  did  not  consist  alone  in  his  vivid  and  fervent  appeal.*,  nor  in 
his  broad,  warm  sympathies.  He  was  a  scholar  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
term.  Having  received  a  thorough  preparation  for  his  calling,  he  remained 
a  close,  careful  student  to  the  end,  and  his  strong,  practical  mind  had  the 
rare  gift  of  working  over  the  truth  gathered,  and  of  imparting  it,  not  in  a 
weak,  diluted  form,  but  in  simplicity,  brevity,  and  illumined  by  apt  illus- 
tration, so  that  the  plain  laboring  people  who  chiefly  formed  his  audience, 
could  see  its  bearing  upon  their  vital  interests  and  daily  life.  His  large 
chapel  in  Third  avenue  grew  so  overcrowded  that  a  commodious  church 
became  necessary,  and  among  the  shifting  population  of  that  region  of 
the  city  he  has  maintained  a  numerous  and  ever-increasing  congregation. 
The  number  of  humble  homes  that  he  entered  in  obedience  to  the  com- 
mand, "  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  me,"  the  number  of  the  sad  and  of  the 


nS  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

guilt  disquieted  that  he  has  cheered  and  led  to  peace,  cannot  be  estimated 
even  by  those  who  knew  him  best.  Possessing  a  vigorous  mind  in  a  vig- 
orous body,  he  devoted  all  his  time  and  energy  to  the  accomplishment  of 
practical  results.  He  sought  to  make  his  people  self-respecting  and  in- 
dustrious ;  he  taught  them  how  to  make  the  most  of  their  tenement-house 
life,  and  in  the  case  of  no  poor  creature  did  he  ever  stand  afar  off  or  "  pass 
by  on  the  other  side,"  but  he  ever  came  directly  where  the  sin-wounded 
were,  and  in  the  spirit  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  If  the  city's  welfare  de- 
pends at  all  upon  the  reform  and  virtue  of  its  citizens,  then  such  wise  and 
untiring  workers  as  Mr.  Payson,  who  aie  steadily  bringing  the  best  of 
influences  to  bear  upon  thousands  of  lives,  are  those  whose  loss  is  most 
severely  felt. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  119 


CHAPTER    V. 

METHODS  AND  MEANS— SYSTEM ATIC  BENEFI- 
CENCE. 

Early  in  his  ministry  Mr.  Payson  was  brought  to 
feel  that  contributions  from  his  people  towards  the  sup- 
port of  the  gospel  was  a  necessary  means  to  their  own 
growth  in  grace.  By  a  series  of  providential  experiences 
this  conviction  was  deepened  and  strengthened  until  he 
was  led  to  take  such  steps  towards  the  promotion  of  sys- 
tematic beneficence  in  his  own  church  as  form  a  most 
important  era  in  his  life-work.  Indeed,  so  profound  was 
his  conviction  that  no  true  Christian  development  is 
possible  for  those  who  do  not  practise  self-denying  and 
systematic  beneficence  that  he  was  willing  to  let  his  pas- 
toral relations  with  this  people  stand  or  fall  with  the 
maintenance  of  that  principle. 

It  was  for  many  years  his  opinion  that  the  remarka- 
ble development  of  the  members  of  this  church  was  at- 
tributable under  God  in  no  slight  degree  to  their  cheerful 
obedience  to  the  Bible  precept,  "  //  is  more  blessed  to  give 
tJian  to  receive?  Certainly  it  is  a  remarkable*  fact  that 
those  whose  fortunes  grew  apace  and  who  thus  had  been 
lifted  in  the  social  scale,  when  self-respect  and  manliness 
were  roused  did  not  desert  the  chapel  as  the  correspond- 
ing classes  so  often  desert  the  "  Missions  "  of  the  city.f 

*  Compare  the  remarks  of  Dr.  Howard  Crosby,  page  67. 

t  In  a  sermon  delivered  March,   1S75,  Mr.  Payson   says,  "In  1862 


120  ALL  FOR  CLIRLST. 

Many  of  those  who  moved  away  from  the  neighborhood 
moved  nevertheless  with  reference  to  the  chapel  and 
sought  as  long  as  possible  to  retain  their  connection  with 
it.  And  it  is  no  less  remarkable  that  the  middle  classes* 
of  our  population,  who,  as  a  rule,  are  pushed  from  the 
wealthy  churches  by  extravagance,  and  pushed  from 
the  "  Missions"  by  an  honorable  self-respect,  were  being 
more  and  more  drawn  towards  this  enterprise  as  the 
principles  which  Mr.  Payson  advocated  secured  recogni- 
tion and  made  themselves  felt  in  the  conduct  of  the 
chapel  and  became  more  widely  known.  Should  those 
principles  now  be  carried  to  a  successful  issue,  as  with 
the  favor  of  Divine  Providence  we  can  but  hope  they 
may  be,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  problem  of 
"how  to  reach  the  masses"  will  have  been  solved. 

Beginning  with  a  people,  who,  when  he  came  to 
them,  gave  absolutely  nothing  towards  benevolent  oper- 
ations, and  absolutely  nothing  towards  self-support,  and 
who,  moreover,  (on  account  of  their  extreme  poverty  at 
that  time,)  were  not  encouraged  to  give  in  either  of  these 
directions,  Mr.  Payson  with  most  persistent  energy  and 
faith  and  steadfast  zeal,  through  seventeen  years  of  min- 
istry, maintained  the  Gospel  principle  that  every  man 
should  give  and  give  systematically  and  give  "  according 
as  the  Lord  hath  prospered  him."  The  spirit  of  his 
teaching  upon   this  subject  may  be  gathered  from  the 

our  contributions  amounted  to  $79,  now  they  are  over  $6,000;  and  this  con- 
trast reflects  a  like  prosperity  in  many  a  home  connected  with  our  church.''' 

*  The  congi-egation  for  many  years  has  been  mainly  composed  of  the 
better  classes  of  the  poor,  (compare  Dr.  Abbott's  remarks,  page  SS,)  so 
that  it  might  even  now  be  called  "A  Workingmafs  Church.'''' 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  121 

following  extract  from  a  sermon  delivered  October  30. 
1870. 

"Some  people,"  he  said,  "will  perhaps  think  that  my 
sermon  to-night  has  not  much  gospel  in  it,  for  it  is  to  be 
almost  entirely  about  money.  And  yet,  if  I  study  my  Bi- 
ble aright,  there  is  no  better  method  of  judging  our  reli- 
gion at  its  real  value  than  that  afforded  by  a  man's  account 
(if  I  may  so  speak)  with  the  Lord.  How  much  has  been 
received  ?  how  much  given  ?  Abel  gave  of  his  lambs, 
and  God  loved  and  blessed  him  for  it.  Noah  took 
■  sevens '  of  the  clean  animals  with  him  into  the  ark  that 
he  might  have  to  offer  unto  the  Lord.  There  was  no 
happier  hour  in  the  desert  than  when  those  poor  people 
gave  one  million  to  build  the  Tabernacle.  .  .  .  Israel 
never  gave  as  in  the  days  of  David  and  Solomon,  and 
never  were  they  so  prosperous.  Iron  became  like  stones, 
silver  as  iron,  and  gold  as  silver.  But  when  they  began 
to  withhold  the  tenths,  the  least  God  allowed  from  any 
Jew,  then  the  land  suffered.  Cf.  Haggai  1  : 9—  1 1 .  '  Ye 
looked  for  much,  and  lo  it  came  to  little,  and  when  ye 
brought  it  home,  I  did  bloiv  upon  it.  Why  ?  saith  the 
Lord  of  Hosts.  Because  of  my  house  that  is  waste;  and 
ye  run  every  man  unto  his  own  house!  The  same  law 
holds  in  the  New  Testament.  'Covetousness  is  idolatry.' 
'  The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil.'  The  alms  of 
Cornelius  entered  in  with  his  prayers  before  God  as  a 
memorial  of  his  life.  To  make  to  ourselves  friends  of 
the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  is  to  have  some  who  shall 
receive  us  into  everlasting  habitations.     And  it  is  not 

too  much  to  say,  that,  as  the  hands  of  a  watch  are  the 

11 


122  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

index  of  the  movements  within,  so  the  pocketbook  is  the 
index  of  the  soul.  As  you  are  sure  enough  that  the 
movement  is  all  right  when  the  hands  keep  correct  time, 
so  you  have  in  your  benevolent  account  one  of  the  best 
tests  of  the  state  of  your  soul." 

He  refers  to  the  common  plea  against  free-will  offer- 
ings, that  it  is  better  to  employ  plates  and  subscription 
papers  because  shame  will  then  compel  the  selfish  to 
give  who  otherwise  would  not  give  at  all,  and  adds : 
"  What  does  this  mean  ?  That  the  fear  of  man  is  a 
stronger  motive  than  love  to  God.  It  may  be  for  once, 
but  it  certainly  is  not  for  continuous  and  faithful  giving. 
And,  such  gifts  do  not  spend  well.  God  loves  a  cheer- 
ful giver,  but  such  giving  is  anything  but  cheerful.  Nay 
more,  is  it  not  contrary  to  the  Master's  rule,  '  Let  not 
thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth'  ?  There- 
fore, it  is  written,  '  When  thou  doest  thine  alms,  do  not 
sound  a  trumpet  before  thee  as  the  hypocrites  do  in  the 
synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may  have  glory 
of  men.'  I  would  rather  my  people  would  never  give  at 
all,"  he  adds,  "  than  feel  that  this  is  the  highest  motive. 
But  it  is  not  necessary.  Look  at  Midler's  hundreds  of 
thousands  in  answer  to  the  prayer  of  faith  .  .  .  Look  at 
the  Harpoot  Missions ;  .  .  .*  nearer  home,  at  Roe's  work 
in  Lowell ; .  . .  J.  O.  Adams'  in  New  York ;  .  .  .  nay  look 
at  your  own  past  experience  in  which  the  benevolent 
contributions  of  this  church  from  scriptural  motives  have 
already  risen  from  $70  a  year  to  $3,500.  .  .  .  Let  me  tell 
you  an  easy  way.     Take  one-tenth  of  all  you  earn  each 

*  These  examples,  of  course,  were  enlarged  upon  in  the  address. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  123 

week  and  put  it  aside  for  the  Lord.  On  Sunday  morn- 
ing take  out  of  this  that  portion  which  you  feel  you 
should  give  to  this  work  and  another  for  that,  praying 
over  it,  and  consulting  with  the  Master  about  it ;  and  I 
know  that  it  will  not  be  long  before  our  contributions 
will  be  doubled  and  even  trebled." 

In  an  article  prepared  for  the  press  within  a  few 
years  of  his  decease,  upon  "Nineteenth  Century  Illustra- 
tions of  the  Master  s  Ride  of  Giving"*  after  speaking  of 
the  ostentation  which  too  frequently  accompanies  the 
gifts  of  the  church,  and  criticising  the  prevalent  method 
of  plate-collections,  he  says :  "  A  congregation  composed 
so  largely  of  the  poor  that  they  have  always  been  sus- 
tained by  the  parent  church,  resolved  to  try  and  do 
something  themselves.  That  this  might  prove  no  ob- 
stacle even  to  the  poorest  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  privi- 
leges of  God's  house,  boxes  were  placed  near  the  en- 
trance in  which  deposits  could  be  made  at  any  time. 
The  amount  contributed  by  each  individual  was  known 
only  to  God  and  himself.  The  motives  urged  were  those 
of  gratitude  to  God,  and  the  method  advised  that  laid 
down  so  plainly  in  the  Scriptures,  Let  each  one  of  you 
lay  by  in  store  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  God  hath 
blessed.  He  that  had  received  nothing,  it  was  added, 
was  of  course  to  give  nothing  ;  he  that  had  received 
little,  was  not  to  give  a  great  deal ;  and  he  who  had 
received  much  was  not  to  give  little. 

"  Eight  years  have  passed  since  that  resolution  was 
taken      During  that  time  no  plate  or  subscription-paper 
*  Matt.  6:2-4. 


i24  AL*<  FOR  CHRIST. 

(with  a  single  exception)  has  been  passed.  This  people 
have  given  of  their  poverty,  on  what  they  regard  a  scrip- 
tural basis,  each  one  responsible  to  God  and  God  alone 
for  the  use  or  abuse  of  his  opportunities.  The  result  may 
perhaps  best  be  shown  in  figures : 

First  year $So  Fifth      year $1,040 

Second" 140  Sixth         "     1,400 

Third     " 490  Seventh    "    2,800 

Fourth  " - 700  Eighth       "    ---  3,200 

"  The  people  love  to  give,  and  the  Lord  is  most  evi- 
dently bestowing  his  blessing.  If  these  facts  shall  help 
others  to  better  understand  and  practise  the  Master's 
rule,  our  purpose  will  have  been  fully  attained." 

In  1862,  under  the  influence  of  their  pastor's  minis- 
try, the  people  began  to  contribute  to  missionary  objects, 
and  as  early  as  1864  we  find  a  record  of  missionaries 
helped  in  India,  Syria,  and  in  the  West  of  our  own  coun- 
try, as  well  as  of  some  gifts  sent  to  the  soldiers  in  the 
field,  by  those  who  previous  to  1862  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  give  nothing.  In  1867  they  began  to  give 
systematically  towards  their  own  church-work,  and  so 
constant  and  rapid  was  their  development  in  systematic 
beneficence,  that  having  begun  with  the  small  sum  of 
$79  the  first  year  {1862),  they  were  led  to  give  more  and 
more  until  in  1875  their  contributions,  regular  and  spe- 
cial, amounted  to  $6,978* 

*  Compare  the  tables  on  page  90.  It  is  noteworthy  that  from 
the  very  commencement  there  was  an  annual  increase  in  the  gifts  from 
this  branch  of  the  church.  In  1862-3  this  increase  amounted  to  only 
$65  ;  in  1874-5  t0  $2M3  >  *•  e->  trie  sum  contributed  in  1S74-5  was  larger 
by  $2,843  tnan  tliat  contributed  in  the  preceding  year.  The  only  apparent 
exception  to  this  rule  occurs  in  1S75-6  (see,  however,  footnotes  on  page  90), 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  125 

The  emphasis  which  Mr.  Payson  placed  upon  this 
means  of  grace,  may  be  sufficiently  illustrated  by  the 
following  brief  extract  .from  his  annual  review  sermon 
for  1876.  "Two  eras  in  the  history  of  this  church,"  he 
says,  "  are  worthy  of  special  mention  in  connection  with 
its  gifts  to  the  Lord,  which  are  peculiar  in  that  they 
have  been  wholly  voluntary — no  collection  ever  having 
been  taken  in  this  congregation.  I.  The  first  dates  from 
October,  1867,  when  the  church,  after  silent  prayer,  rose 
and  resolved  with  God's  help  to  raise  $10,000  towards 
a  new  building,  if  possible  within  three  years.  The  way 
in  which  the  people  rose,  no  man  looking  right  or  left, 
but  each  doing  it  as  unto  God,  is  something  rarely  seen 
in  any  church.  Our  contributions  as  a  result  of  this 
consecration  of  ourselves  to  God,  doubled  in  a  single 
year  from  $1,500  to  $3,000.  That  was  the  beginning  of 
this  church  edifice.*  II.  The  second  era  was  when  in 
seven  weeks  we  collected  for  the  Memorial  Fund  and 
paid  in  almost  $3,300 — in  seven  short  weeks  !  Oh,  what 
zeal,  love,  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  marked  those 
days."f 

and  that  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  efforts  made  in  the  prece- 
ding year,  when  the  chapel  was  being  built,  were  extraordinary. 

It  may  be  added  here  that  during  the  last  year  of  his  life,  Mr.  Payson 
announced  his  determination  to  depend  for  his  salary  upon  the  chapel 
people,  and  they  would  have  raised  the  $4,000  necessary  before  the  year 
was  past.  So  important  did  he  consider  it  that  some  beginning  should  be 
made  in  this  direction,  that  he  himself  stood  ready  to  contribute  $zoo 
or  even  $500  towards  it,  if  necessary. 

*  The  contributions  of  this  people  toward  the  Memorial  Chapel 
amounted  to  about  one-ninth  of  the  whole  sum  necessary.  (Cf.  also  the 
letter  on  page  141.) 

t  Some  details  of  this  effort  are  given  on  page  142,  et  seq. 


T26  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

A  single  illustration  of  the  beneficent  influence  of 
these  efforts  upon  the  spiritual  development  of  his  peo- 
ple may  be  admitted  here.  Many  more  might  be  given, 
and  others  will  be  furnished  by  the  narrative;  but  one 
is  here  enough  to  show  that  the  sacrifices  which  his 
people  made  were  not  without  rich  fruits  of  faith  and 
love.     The  following  article  is  from  his  pen. 

GIVING  LIKE  A  LITTLE  CHILD. 

Not  long  since,  a  poor  widow  came  into  my  study.  She  is  over  sixty 
years  of  age.  Her  home  is  one  little  room,  about  ten  feet  by  twelve,  and 
she  supports  herself  by  her  needle,  which  in  these  days  of  sewing  ma- 
chines means  the  most  miserable  support. 

Imagine  my  surprise,  then,  when  she  put  three  dollars  into  my  hands 
and  said : 

"  There  is  my  contribution  to  the  church  fund." 

"  But  are  you  able  to  give  so  much  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  exclaimed.     "  I  have  learned  how  to  give  now." 

"  How  is  that  ?"  I  asked. 

"Do  you  remember,"  she  answered,  "that  sermon  of  three  months 
since,  when  you  told  us  that  you  did  not  believe  one  of  your  people  was 
so  poor,  that  if  he  loved  Christ,  he  could  not  find  some  way  of  showing 
that  love  by  his  gifts  ?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Well,  I  went  home  and  cried  all  night  over  that  sermon.  I  said  tc 
myself,  '  My  minister  do  n't  know  how  poor  I  am  or  he  never  would  have 
said  that'  But  from  crying  I  at  last  got  to  praying.  And  when  I  had 
told  Jesus  all  about  it,  I  seemed  to  get  an  answer  in  my  heart  that  dried 
up  all  tears." 

"  What  was  the  answer  ?"  I  asked,  deeply  moved  by  her  recital. 

"Only  this,  'If  you  cannot  give  as  other  people  do,  give  like  a  little 
child.'  And  I  have  been  doing  it  ever  since.  When  I  have  a  penny 
change  over  from  my  sugar  or  loaf  of  bread,  I  lay  it  aside  for  Jesus,  and 
so  I  have  gathered  this  money  all  in  pennies." 

"  But  has  it  not  embarrassed  you  to  lay  aside  so  much  ?" 

"  Oh,  no !"  she  responded  eagerly  with  beaming  face.  "  Since  I  be- 
gan to  give  to  the  Lord  I  have  always  had  money  in  the  house  for  myself, 
and  it  is  wonderful  how  the  work  comes  pouring  in.  So  many  are  coming 
to  see  me  that  I  never  knew  before." 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  127 

"  But  did  n't  you  always  have  money  in  the  house  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Oh,  no !  Often  when  my  rent  came  due  I  had  to  go  and  borrow 
it,  not  knowing  how  I  ever  should  find  means  to  pay  it  again.  But  I 
do  n't  have  to  do  that  any  more,  the  dear  Lord  is  so  kind." 

Of  course  I  could  not  refuse  such  money. 

Three  months  later  she  came  with  three  dollars  and  eighty-five  cents 
saved  in  the  same  way.  Then  came  the  effort  of  our  church  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Memorial  Fu;id,  and  in  some  five  months  she  brought  fifteen 
dollars,  all  saved  in  the  little  mite-box  I  had  given  her.  This  makes  a 
total  of  twenty-one  dollars  and  efghty-five  cents  from  one  poor  widow  in 
a  single  twelvemonth.  I  need  hardly  add  that  she  apparently  grew  more 
in  Christian  character  in  that  one  year,  than  in  all  the  previous  years  of 
her  connection  with  the  church. 

Who  can  doubt  that  if  in  giving  as  well  as  other  graces,  we  could  all 
thus  become  as  little  children,  there  would  result  such  an  increase  in  our 
gifts  that  there  would  not  be  room  enough  to  contain  them  ? 

In  the  maintenance  of  these  principles  of  Christian 
beneficence,  Mr.  Payson,  as  is  well  known,  met  with 
some  discouragements.  From  the  very  first  the  policy 
of  the  parent  church  was  different.  The  large  and  influ- 
ential Committee  to  whom  had  been  intrusted  the  man- 
agement of  the  chapel,  generously  contemplated  giving 
to  this  people  the  bread  of  life  without  money  and  with- 
out price.  They  sought  to  provide  a  spiritual  home  for 
even  the  poorest  of  the  poor,  and  they  did  not  wish  to 
have  the  rest  and  comfort  of  that  home  disturbed  by 
any  sense  of  pecuniary  obligation.  They  endeavored 
according  to  their  means,  and  to  the  very  utmost  of 
their  ability,  to  carry  out  the  spirit  of  our  Lord's  exam- 
ple so  beautifully  expressed  in  his  own  words, "The  poor 
have  the  gospel  preached  unto  them  ;"  and  while  they 
wished  in  every  possible  way  to  discourage  pauperism 
and  to  reprove  the  disposition  which  looked  towards 
abject  dependence  on  the  rich,  they  were  determined,  if 


128  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

possible,  to  provide  for  all  God's  poor  committed  to  their 
care  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  them  feel  at  home,  al- 
though they  did  not  pay  a  cent.  This  was  the  principle 
which  underlay  the  very  names  "  Mission"  and  "  Mission 
Chapel "  as  at  first*"  applied  to  this  enterprise. 

It  is  possible,  too,  that  it  may  have  been  this,  at  least 
in  part,  which  led  them  not  wholly  to  approve  of  the 
action  of  Mr.  Payson  when  in  1867  he  called  upon  his 
people  to  give  $10,000  towards  a  new  church  edifice. 
There  was  no  intention  on  Mr.  Payson's  part,  in  doing 
this,  to  oppose  the  wishes  of  the  Committee,  and,  so  far 
as  we  know,  such  a  design  was  never  imputed  to  him. 
The  object  presented  to  his  people  at  that  time  was  not 
strictly  in  the  line  of  self-support,  and  therefore  not  in 
direct  conflict  with  the  views  of  the  Committee  as  he 
understood  them.  The  whole  truth  is,  that  an  extraordi- 
nary impression  had  been  made  upon  his  mind  at  the 
meeting  of  the  American  Board,  from  which  he  had  just 
returned,  by  the  report  from  the  Harpoot  Mission ;  and 
his  long-cherished  and  earnest  convictions  as  to  the  duty 
of  even  the  poorest  of  the  Lord's  people  to  give  some- 
thing to  the  Lord's  cause,  could  no  longer  be  suppressed. 

For  reasons  which  Mr.  Payson  did  not  foresee,!  his 
plan  failed  to  receive  the  approval  of  the  Committee  ;  but 
the  guiding  hand  of  Providence  should  be  recognized^ 
in  the  use  made  of  this  movement  to  demonstrate  the 
practicability  and  wisdom  of  the  views  which  he  had  so 

*  The  name  has  since  been  changed  to  Memorial  Chapel,  and  the 
word  "Mission"  dropped. 

t  See  Appendix,  Note  B.  X  Cf.  the  letter  on  page  141. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  129 

earnestly  and  patiently  advocated.  Any  doubts  which 
may  have  existed  among  the  members  of  the  Committee 
as  to  the  ability  and  readiness  of  the  people  to  give,  were 
dispelled  by  their  spontaneous  and  hearty  response  to 
this  appeal ;  and  the  result  was  that  finally  all  objections 
to  the  receipt  of  contributions  for  self-support  were  with- 
drawn, and  in  due  time  Mr.  Payson  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  plan  introduced  and  in  successful  operation 
among  his  people. 

These  facts  will  serve  to  explain  some  statements  of 
a  judicious  and  discriminating  writer  in  a  recent  commu- 
nication to  the  "  New  York  Evangelist."  Referring  to 
Mr.  Payson's  work,  he  says, 

His  congregation  continually  increased,  and  conversions  were  numer- 
ous. But  not  satisfied  with  introducing  new  disciples  into  the  Christian 
fold,  he  taught  them  it  was  alike  their  duty  and  privilege  to  strive  for  self- 
support,  and  to  be  helpers  in  works  of  charity.  Joyfully  conscious  of  the 
advantages  he  had  early  gained  by  self-reliance,  he  desired  his  people  to 
know  how  much  more  noble  and  blessed  it  is  to  give  than  to  receive. 

Yet  while  his  aim  was  thus  elevated,  an  epoch  was  reached  from  which 
his  ministry,  before  marked  by  a  happy  routine  of  usefulness,  was  sudden- 
ly lifted  to  a  plane  of  bold  endeavor  and  fearless  enterprise.  He  greatly 
enjoyed  the  annual  meetings  of  the  American  Board,  and  on  his  return 
from  one  of  these  in  the  autumn  of  1867,  where  he  had  been  especially 
quickened  by  what  he  had  learned  of  the  wonderful  liberality  of  a  church 
in  Western  Asia,*  whose  numbers  were  pitiably  poor  as  compared  with 
his  own  flock ;  without  taking  counsel  with  any  one,  he  resolved  to  urge 
his  people  to  contribute  freely  and  systematically  to  raise  money  for  build- 
ing a  larger  and  more  attractive  place  of  worship.  On  a  certain  Lord's 
day  evening  he  preached  a  sermon  with  unwonted  earnestness  and  enthu- 
siasm in  pursuance  of  his  plan. 

That  plan  having  been  duly  unfolded,  and  their  privilege  and  duty 
having  been  eloquently  enforced  by  weighty  arguments,  he  called  upon  all 
who  were  willing  to  cooperate  in  raising  $10,000  for  the  purpose  specified 
ti  rise. 

*  The  church  at  Harpoot  referred  to  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 
(1867.) 


i3o  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

His  appeal,  it  should  be  said,  was  based  on  scriptural 
grounds.  He  recognized  the  poverty  and  destitution  of 
some  of  his  people,  and  the  need  which  all  of  them  might 
feel  of  close  economy.  "  But,"  he  said,  "  this  matter  is  a 
vital  one  for  you  and  for  me.  To  give  from  her  penury 
was  the  privilege  even  of  the  widow  in  the  gospel  whose 
two  poor  mites  were  'all  that  she  had;'  but  the  ages 
crown  her  memory  with  benedictions  since  the  Saviour's 
blessing  rested  on  her  act.  They  were  not  all  rich  to 
whom  Paul  wrote,  '  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let 
every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store  according  as  the 
Lord  hath  prospered  him  ;'  but  the  claim  which  he  then 
made  on  those  poor  members  of  the  church  is  the  scrip- 
tural claim  the  church  should  urge  to-day  on  every  man 
who  seeks  to  grow  in  grace.  '  Let  every  one  give ' — such 
should  be  the  language  of  the  church — '  let  every  one 
give  according  as  the  Lord  hath  prospered  him.'  And 
now  I  want  to  lay  this  obligation  on  your  consciences. 
Give  as  unto  the  Lord,  and  not  as  unto  men.  Give  from 
the  fulness  of  your  love  and  gratitude  to  him.  Give  to 
promote  his  glory  and  your  highest  good.  .  .  .  We  will 
have  a  moment  of  silent  prayer,  and  then  all  those  who 
are  ready  to  pledge  themselves  to  do  their  utmost  tow- 
ards securing  $10,000  within  the  next  three  years  will 
please  to  rise." 

The  hush  which  fell  upon  the  audience  at  once  was 
wonderful  and  thrilling.  Those  who  were  present  will 
never  forget  the  hour.  Each  head  was  bowed  in  silent 
prayer,  and  over  the  whole  assembly  the  stillness  of  a 
reverent  and  humble  "  waiting  on  the  Lord "  was  felt ; 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  131 

and  when  the  pastor  rose  at  last,  the  entire  congregation 
rose  with  him,  and  pledged  themselves  by  doing  so  to 
give,  as  God  had  prospered  them,  each  Sabbath  in  the 
year.  "  Doubtless,"  as  has  been  said,  "some  of  these  peo- 
ple were  surprised  that  night  at  the  change  that  had 
come  over  them.  They  were  to  be  no  longer  aimless 
dreamers."  They  were  to  realize  in  their  own  experience 
the  wisdom  of  the  words, 

"  Do  noble  things,  not  dream  them  all  day  long, 
And  so  make  life,  death,  and  the  vast  Forever, 
One  grand,  sweet  song." 

And  as  the  work  to  which  they  now  had  pledged  them- 
selves was  one  which  called  for  energy,  they  began  at 
once  to  move.  A  system  was  devised  by  which,  without 
burdening  any  one,  all  might  have  chance  to  give.  En- 
velopes were  procured,  marked  "  For  the  Building  Fund," 
in  which  the  contributions  could  be  sealed  and  left  in  a 
box  provided  for  this  purpose  near  the  door.  The  amount 
collected  in  this  way  varied  from  $25  to  $50  a  week,  and 
within  the  next  three  years  $6,000*  were  placed  at  inter- 
est for  the  "  Building  Fund,"  which,  together  with  sub- 
sequent contributions  to  the  "  Memorial  Fund,"  finally 

*  Mr.  Payson's  report  of  the  Building  Fund,  in  his  sermon  of  Octo- 
ber 30,  1870,  is  as  follows: 

From  box  collections,  1867-S $1,240 

"  "  186S-9 1,370 

1869-70 864 

Special  gifts - 692 


Concert- 


154 


Interest 6S2 

Bonds  in  hand  (conditional)f • 

Deposit  in  savings-bankt 


t  See  foot-note  on  next  page  (132).  $6,002 


i3 2  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

amounted  to  more  than  $12,000,  of  which  sum,  it  is 
proper  to  state,  Mr.  Pay  son  gave  $1,225.*  The  entire 
$10,000  would  doubtless  have  been  secured  within  the 
specified  time,  had  it  not  become  evident  that  the  church 
would  not  then  be  built,  and  had  not  the  contributions 
been  diverted  early  in  the  spring  of  1870  from  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  edifice  towards  self-support. 

One  or  two  of  the  incidents  which  occurred  in  con- 
nection with  this  effort,  may  be  mentioned  here. 

The  sum  of  $50  was  given  by  a  poor  washerwoman 
"  whose  heart  the  Lord  had  opened."  Another  poor 
woman  on  her  dying  bed  gave  Mr.  Payson  four  silver  half 
dollars  for  the  new  church  which  he  kept  as  a  sacred  leg- 
acy for  several  years  until  this  edifice  was  built. 

Mrs. drank  beer  every  day  before  this  effort  was 

begun,  and  especially  on  Mondays  when  the  washing 
was  likely  to  be  hard.  But  she  concluded  after  some 
deliberation  that  she  would  give  up  this  luxury  and  save 
nine  cents  a  day  for  the  new  church,  which  she  did,  un- 
til at  last  she  brought  $9  90  and  told  her  pastor  that  she 
was  now  so  convinced  of  the  folly  of  drinking  that  she 
had  determined  to  abandon  it  altogether.  Still  another, 
living  in  a  hall  bedroom  and  earning  but  fifty  cents  a 
day,  put  the  pennies  which  she  saved  at  the  grocery  from 
"  change,"  after  buying  a  pint  of  milk  or  a  loaf  of  bread, 

*  The  last  two  items  in  the  report  given  on  the  preceding  page  rep- 
resent in  part  Mr.  Payson's  own  contribution  towards  the  new  church, 
which  was  to  be  given  "if  other  $9,000  were  raised."  It  is  mentioned  here 
only  to  show  that  he  was  not  unwilling  to  join  his  people  in  whatever  he 
asked  them  to  do.  When  some  one  remarked,  "  This  is  too  much,  and  the 
church  does  not  want  to  take  this  gift  from  you,"  he  replied,  "  I  have  given 
my  life  to  this  work,  and  it  is  a  small  thing  for  me  to  give  my  money." 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  133 

into  a  savings-bank  for  this  fund,  until  at  last  she  brought 
#9  35  with  thankfulness  that  God  enabled  her  to  do  so 
much  for  him.  One  year  she  brought  $2  50,  the  next 
$3  10  and  the  third  $3  75.  And  this  she  did  against  the 
judgment  of  her  pastor  who  thought  it  all  needful  for 
her  own  comfort.  1 

A  year  or  two  of  this  kind  of  effort  had  passed,  when 
Mr.  Payson  was  led  to  take  a  step,  which,  whether  viewed 
in  the  light  of  possible  or  actual  consequences,  was  of 
too  much  importance  to  pass  over  in  silence.  For  rea- 
sons which  he  gives  in  a  sermon  to  be  quoted  from 
presently,  he  resigned  his  pastorate  in  the  month  of 
March,  1870.  There  was  much  feeling  among  his  people 
when  they  learned  that  his  resignation  had  been  accept- 
ed, and  it  was  not  long  before  several  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  church  and  congregation  waited  upon  the  chair- 
man of  the  chapel  Committee  to  make  known  the  general 
regret  occasioned  by  the  fact  and  to  inquire  if  there  could 
not  be  a  reconsideration.  This  visit  opened  the  way  for  a 
conference  between  Mr.  Payson  and  the  Committee,  and 
very  soon  views  which  seemed  at  one  time  irreconcilable 
were  harmonized  and  the  resignation  was  withdrawn.* 

In  reference  to  this  matter  Mr.  Payson  himself  says, 
at  the  close  of  his  anniversary  sermon  May,  1870: 

"This  evening  affords  me  the  proper  opportunity  to 
explain  to  you  all  why  I  felt  I  ought  to  leave.  Nat- 
urally, churches  grow  by  colonies.  But  the  centrali- 
zing policy  of  Presbyterianism  during  the  last  twenty- 
five  years  has  put  a  stop  to  this.     Pastors  here  and  in 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  B. 
12 


i34  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

Brooklyn  complain  that  in  these  cities  the  colonization 
system  is  impracticable.  Their  people  will  not  go 
away.  As  the  next  best  thing  mission  chapels  like  this 
were  organized.  Some  of  them — this,  at  least,  as  all  of 
you  will  testify — were  put  under  the  care  of  as  intelligent, 
capable,  and  devoted  a  body  of  men  as  any  one  could 
ask  for.  Money,  prayers  and  efforts  have  been  lavishly 
bestowed,  and  under  the  blessing  of  God,  a  large  success 
has  been  secured. 

"  Warned  by  the  failures  of  other  chapels  which  at  the 
end  of  a  short  period  have  been  cast  off  to  struggle  for 
themselves,  it  was  resolved  that  this  should  form  a  branch 
of  the  parent  church  with  the  ordinances  however  admin- 
istered in  each  at  stated  periods.  That  every  one  might 
feel  at  perfect  freedom  to  attend  here,  all  expenses  have 
been  borne  entirely  by  the  members  worshipping  in 
Madison  Square. 

"  For  a  time  this  has  worked  well,  especially  since 
plans  for  encouraging  and  developing  the  resources  of  this 
chapel  have  been  year  by  year  provided.  But  as  I  have 
studied  my  Bible  more,  and  have  seen  how  the  apostles 
required  their  churches  to  support  themselves  as  far  as 
possible;  as  I  have  seen  dependent  chapels  year  after  year 
failing  to  do  any  great  work  for  the  Master ;  as  I  have 
heard  of  missions  in  Scotland  and  even  in  heathen  lands, 
advanced  to  a  noble  pitch  of  prosperity  by  self-sacrifi- 
cing, earnest  efforts,  under  circumstances  far  less  favor- 
able than  our  own  ;  as  I  have  studied  your  growing 
means  and  willingness  ;  and  especially  as  one  and  an- 
other have  come  saying,  'We  date  our  greatest  spiritual 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  i;5 

and  material  growth  from  the  hour  when  we  began  sys- 
tematically to  give  ;'  I  have  felt  that  it  was  high  time  that 
you  did  your  best  to  meet  the  expenses  of  this  place. 
Until  now  everything  has  been  done  for  you  and  many  of 
you  have  felt  as  uncomfortably  in  regard  to  it  as  myself. 

"It  was  on  this  point  that  the  Committee  could  not 
agree.  Some  were  persuaded  that  if  such  burdens  were 
laid  upon  you,  many  who  now  feel  at  home  in  the  chapel 
would  be  driven  away.  How  to  avoid  this  and  yet  to 
develop  the  best  energies  of  this  congregation  has  been 
the  burden  of  the  last  three  years.  With  each  year  it 
has  increased,  and  I  had  resolved  that  if  it  could  not  in 
some  way  be  relieved  I  should  leave  this  spring.  This 
and  this  alone  was  the  sole  cause  of  my  resignation. 

"Your  earnest  request  that  I  should  reconsider  my 
resignation,  sustained  by  the  kind  assurances  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  parent  church,  have  led  me  to  hope  larger 
and  better  things  for  the  future,  and  I  have  resolved  to 
remain  with  the  people  and  the  work  I  so  dearly  love. 

"  What  then  is  our  present  outlook,  so  far  as  financial 
matters  are  concerned  ?  It  has  been  resolved  that  all 
those  who  wish  to  contribute  towards  the  support  of  this 
place  of  worship  are  to  have  the  opportunity  to  do  so. 
The  only  condition  is  that  these  gifts  shall  be  voluntary, 
and  so  bestowed  that  none  shall  feel  that  they  are  not 
perfectly  welcome  to  this  place.  A  committee  chosen 
from  your  own  number*  is  to  devise  some  plan  by  which 

*  With  reference  to  this  committee  Mr.  Payson  says  in  his  official 
record  of  the  chapel  work  for  1870:  "In  the  spring  of  this  year  an  ar- 
rangement was  made  by  which  the  congregation  at  the  chapel  appointed 


136  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

these  purposes  can  be  carried  into  effect,  and  it  is  to  this 
end  you  are  invited  to  meet  here  next  Wednesday  even- 
ing. Am  I  too  sanguine  in  believing  that  those  whom 
God  has  blessed  in  this  place  will  most  gladly  avail  them- 
selves of  this  opportunity  of  bringing  their  thank-offerings 
and  laying  them  down  each  week  at  the  Saviour's  feet  ?" 
In  October  of  this  same  year,  in  connection  with  his 
report  upon  the  Building  Fund,  after  glancing  at  the  past 
and  referring  to  the  progress  they  had  made,  Mr.  Payson 
said,  "  But  some,  disappointed,  will  ask,  '  What  of  the 
new  church  ?'  To  this  I  would  answer :  twice  since  we 
commenced,  special  efforts  have  been  made  to  secure  the 
proper  lots,  and  a  committee  is  now  organized  for  this 
very  work.  Should  the  spirit  manifested  here  among 
ourselves  warrant  the  undertaking,  I  should  not  be  sur- 
prised if  the  ground  for  our  new  building  were  broken 

within  a  twelvemonth And  while  we  await  more 

light,  let  me  ask  if  there  is  one  here  that  feels  poorer  to- 
day for  what  he  has  given  the  Lord  through  that  box  ?  I 
know  not  a  few  that  feel  richer,  for  (i)  they  have  learned 
to  give  and  the  blessedness  of  giving.  They  never  had 
given  before,  and  they  have  received  so  much  pleasure 
from  it  that  it  has  made  their  faces  to  shine  with  a  heav- 
enly light  I  had  never  seen  there  before. 

a  committee  to  raise  funds  for  the  support  of  the  chapel  and  such  objects 
as  they  might  deem  best.  This  committee  was  to  cooperate  with  the  com- 
mittee from  the  parent  church  in  all  important  matters  relating  to  this 
branch  of  the  church."  In  this  connection  the  attention  of  the  reader  is 
especially  invited  to  fuller  statements  concerning  the  matter  of  his  resig- 
nation given  in  the  Appendix,  Note  B.  And  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  cooperation  above  spoken  of  is  not  yet  coordination,  though  it 
may  eventually  become  so. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  137 

"  (2.)  Some  have  learned  to  give  systematically  who 
hitherto  were  accustomed  to  give  at  haphazard.  Then, 
every  time  they  gave  there  was  a  conflict  between  their 
conscience  and  their  covetousness.  Now,  they  have  only 
to  take  the  Lord's  money  already  laid  aside  and  give. 
The  minister  who  had  not  a  dime  to  buy  a  barrel  of  flour, 
gave  $5  to  one  object  and  $10  to  another  before  the  day 
came  when  he  was  to  receive  his  salary,  and  when  asked 
how  he  could  do  this,  replied, '  That  is  the  Lord's  money.' 

"  (3.)  All  of  us  feel  a  new  strength  in  ourselves  and  our 
cause.  We  have  now  $6,coo  at  interest.  This  church  has 
so  much  in  store  for  the  future,  and  we  have  learned  in 
giving  that  how  it  may  be  doubled  and  trebled.  If  each 
one  of  us  lays  by  him  in  store  according  as  the  Lord 
hath  prospered  him,  no  financial  embarrassments  or 
monetary  crises  will  stand  in  the  way  of  progress." 

Afterwards,  in  the  same  sermon,  he  refers  to  the  gen- 
erous assistance  afforded  by  the  parent  church,  and  says, 
"  Twenty-six  thousand  dollars  were  subscribed  in  a  single 
week,  and  the  rest  of  the  forty  thousand  dollars  necessary 
would  have  been  forthcoming  at  once  if  ground  for  build- 
ing could  have  been  secured.  Are  these  dear  brethren," 
he  adds,  "  under  greater  obligations  to  help  us  than  we 
to  help  ourselves  ?  .  .  .  .  How  is  it  in  your  families  ? 
You  take  the  tenderest  care  of  the  most  helpless  and 
dependent — the  little  babe.  As  he  grows  older  you  ex- 
pect him  to  take  care  of  himself,  to  run  on  errands,  to 
watch  over  the  younger  children,  and  at  length  to  work 
and  help  support   himself.      So  it   is  with    these   dear 

friends.      With   much    prayer,    with    efforts    continued 

0 


138  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

through  fourteen  long  years,  with  many  sacrifices  cheer- 
fully met,  which  will  never  be  fully  known  till  the  last 
great  day,  they  have  watched  over  this  work  and  cared 
for  it  from  the  first.  When  it  began  in  the  carpenter- 
shop  they  cared  for  it ;  so,  too,  in  the  public-school  build- 
ing ;  and  so,  when  there  was  need,  they  built  this  chapel. 
And  we  are  using  property  worth  not  less  than  forty 
thousand  dollars.  At  every  call  made  upon  them  they 
have  responded  with  large  generosity,  till  their  gifts  to 
us  amount  to  scarcely  less  than  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  Their  whole  management  has  been  character- 
ized by  a  liberality  shown  to  no  other  chapel  in  this  city. 
They  have  intrusted  the  management  of  affairs  largely 
to  you,  while  they  still  pay  at  least  five-sixths  of  the  ex- 
pense ;  and  if  we  were  able  to  assume  the  responsibility 
to-day,  and  it  seemed  the  wisest  and  best  course  to  pur- 
sue, would  at  once  give  everything  into  our  hands. 

"  Shall  not  such  confidence  and  generosity  be  met 
with  a  like  spirit  on  our  side  ?  Next  spring  some  of  us 
will  have  to  report  what  this  branch  of  the  church  has 
done  in  twelve  months.  And  are  we  who  have  gloried 
in  your  generosity  in  years  past,  and  who  have  asked 
that  you  might  be  allowed  to  do  for  yourselves,  doomed 
to  be  disappointed  in  our  hopes  and  expectations  ?" 

The  next  year  (1871)  brought  a  very  happy  disap- 
pointment to  the  pastor  of  this  church  and  to  every  other 
friend  of  the  congregation  who  had  "  gloried  in  their  gen- 
erosity." It  afforded  ample  ground,  too,  for  justifying 
that  most  honorable  and  praiseworthy  action  of  the  Com- 
mittee, whereby  they  have  lifted  the  people  of  this  chapel 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  139 

up  to  a  plane  of  liberty  and  privilege  such  as  is  not  en- 
joyed perhaps  by  any  similar  organization  in  the  Presby- 
terian church. 

The  manner  in  which  this  people  engaged  in  the 
effort  to  secure  the  Five  Million  Memorial  Fund,  design- 
ed by  the  General  Assembly  to  commemorate  the  re- 
union of  the  dissevered  branches  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  America,  reflects  the  greatest  credit  upon  their 
energy  and  faith,  and  proves  them  worthy  of  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  them  by  their  pastor  and  the  Commit- 
tee of  the  parent  church.  The  name,  "Memorial  Chapel" 
which  has  been  given  to  their  new  edifice,  was  derived 
indeed  from  its  connection  with  this  special  memorial 
contribution,  and  a  brief  review  of  what  they  did  at  this 
time  may  not  be  found  uninteresting. 

When,  by  advice  of  the  General  Assembly — which  is 
the  highest  authority  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States — each  church  was  to  have  a  share  in  rais- 
ing this  Five  Million  Fund,  and  to  determine  the  object 
towards  which  it  should  be  contributed,  Mr.  Payson's 
congregation  chose  to  devote  their  offerings  to  the  en- 
largement of  their  "  Building  Fund"  and  the  erection  of 
a  new  edifice.  Accordingly,  several  clergymen  were  in- 
vited to  address  the  people  one  Sabbath  evening  upon 
the  general  objects  contemplated  by  the  action  of  the 
General  Assembly,  and  to  commend  this  special  effort  to 
the  prayers  and  hopes  of  the  church.  Immediately  after, 
circulars  were  distributed  through  the  congregation,  in 
which  thg  causes  and  occasion  of  such  an  effort  were 
briefly  stated,  and  the  following  appeal  subjoined: 


140  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

YOUR  OFFERING. 

This  subject  appeals  to  every  Presbyterian  in  the  land,  whether  old 
or  young,  rich  or  poor,  and  you  are  invited  to  give  it  your  prayerful  consid- 
eration. For  the  encouragement  of  those  whose  means  are  small  and  who 
are  disposed  to  undervalue  the  importance  of  their  cooperation,  the  com- 
mittee mention  that  the  first  money  received  by  the  treasurer  towards  this 
great  fund  of  five  millions  was  a  single  dollar,  the  pious  gift  of  a  poor 
woman. 

Remember  that  the  call  is  for  a  thank-offering  to  the  Lord.  Let 
whatever  you  do  be  done  cheerfully,  for  the  Lord  loveth  a  cheerful  giver. 

The  General  Assembly  is  to  meet  the  iSth  of  May  next,  and  their 
committee  wish  to  close  the  subscription-book  on  the  ioth  of  May,  to 
give  time  for  the  preparation  of  a  Report.  It  is  necessary  that  you  de- 
cide upon  the  amount  of  your  contributions  soon,  and  that  it  be  in  the 
hands  of  your  pastor  on  or  before  the  7th  of  May,  otherwise  it  cannot  be 

included  in  the  Report  to  the  General  Assembly 

Your  friend  and  pastor,  c.  H.  PAYSON. 

New  York,  March,  1871. 

The  result  of  this  effort  was,  that  within  seven  weeks 
$3,300  were  collected  and  paid  in,  and  a  conditional  offer 
made  the  amount  more  than  $4,000.*  Of  this  amount 
one  young  man,  who  began  life  as  a  boy  in  the  mission- 
school,  gave  $200.  Another,  who  has  been  saved  by  its 
influence  from  drunkenness,  gave  $25.  Five  others  gave 
each  $100.  One  gave  $225,  and  another  $83.  But  when 
it  is  remembered  that  the  great  majority  of  these  gifts 
were  from  poor  people,  it  will  not  appear  strange  that 

$40  were  given  in  sums  of $i  oo  each. 


60 

54 

12 

800 

iS 

42 


2  00 

3  °° 

4  00 

5  °o 

6  00 

7  oo. 


*  Four  rhoucand  dollars  was  the  sum  which  had  been  asked  for. 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  14* 

490  were  given  in  sums  of 10  00  each. 

160    "        "  "  - -o  00     " 

350    "        "  "  25  00     " 

300    "        "  "  50  00     "    etc., 

and  that  one  gift  was  as  small  as  ten  cents. 

An  interesting  confirmation  of  Mr.  Payson's  state- 
ment,* that  the  resolution  of  the  chapel  congregation  in 
1867  to  give  $10,000  towards  a  new  building  "was  the 
beginning  of  this  church  edifice,"  appears  in  the  follow- 
ing note,  which  directs  attention  to  the  overruling  hand 
of  Providence  in  this  matter.  It  bears  the  date  of  Sep- 
tember 6,  1877;  and  the  writer,  having  spoken  of  the 
Memorial  Fund,  says : 

"  I  think  attention  should  be  called  somewhere  to  the 
unexpected  opening  made  by  the  Memorial  undertaking. 
Remember  that  when  Mr.  Payson  proposed  the  '  Build- 
ing Fund,'  (1867,)  the  new  building  had  no  place  any- 
where except  in  his  imagination  ;  and  at  the  date  of  his 
resignation,  (1870,)  when  the  contributions  had  almost 
ceased,  and  he  hardly  knew  what  to  say  to  his  people 
about  the  prospect,  the  Madison  Square  Church  had 
given  no  sign.  '  Daylight  was  all  gone.'  After  a  while 
the  '  Memorial  Fund '  enlisted  the  Madison  Square 
Church,  and  in  view  of  the  splendid  beginning  made  at 
the  chapel,  it  was  natural  and  easy  for  the  church  to 
decide  that  their  offerings  should  go  towards  a  new  build- 
ing. It  illustrates  the  old  proverb  that  '  God  helps  those 
who  help  themselves.' 

"  My  belief  is,  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  '  Memorial 
Fund,'  the  new  chapel  would  not  have  been  erected,  and 
*  See  page  125. 


1 42  ALL  FOR  CL1RLST. 

this  was  not  dreamed  of  when  Mr.  Payson  proposed  to 
his  people  to  raise  $10,000.'' 

Some  incidents  connected  with  this  effort  were  deeply 
interesting.  One  note,  enclosing  $20  for  the  fund,  makes 
touching  reference  to  the  death  of  a  child  tenderly  be- 
loved, and  then  says, 

Btfore  our  daughter  left  us  we  had  spoken  of  contributing  to  the 
"Memorial  Fund  "  as  a  family,  recognizing  our  responsibility  according 
to  the  measure  of  ability.  We  have  found  that  H had  in  the  savings- 
bank  about  $40,  the  gift  of  a  friend ;  and  in  filling  up  the  blank,  we  have 
pref  rred  to  insert  her  name  among  the  living  children,  and  opposite 'to  a 
sum  which  we  cannot  doubt  that  she,  if  also  living,  would  heartily  con- 
tribute to  that  church  in  which  she  was  born,  was  baptized,  and  taught  the 
truths  which,  we  trust,  had  made  her  wise  unto  salvation. 

A'l  her  associations  with  the  sanctuary  have  been  with  the  Presbyte- 
rian church,  and  had  it  pleased  God  to  spare  that  gentle  life  with  its  dawn- 
ing Christian  graces,  we  feel  assured  that  she  would  have  early  united 
with  this  beloved  and  honored  church,  and  in  the  joys,  cares,  and  labors 
have  found  she  prized  its  heavenly  ways, 

"  Its  sweet  communion,  solemn  vows, 
And  hymns  of  love  and  praise." 

Again  wishing  complete  success  may  crown  this  renewed  effort  for  the 

new  chur.h,  and  make  the  work  truly  memorable, 

Very  truly. 
Rev.  C.  H.  Payson. 

Many  of  the  sacrifices  made  in  connection  with  this 
effort  in  some  of  the  poorest  of  these  homes  will  never 
be  fully  known  till  the  last  great  day.  Some  of  them 
were  heroic,  and  all  of  them  were  inspired  by  faith.  A 
few  must  be  given  here. 

One  poor  woman,  who  kept  a  candy  store  in  a  very 

small  room  on  street,  and  who  depended  for  her 

living  upon  what  she  could  make  in  this  way,  became  so 
deeply  interested  in  this  Memorial  effort  for  a  new  build- 
ing, that  she  sold  her  watch  and  chain  and  other  jewelry, 


METHODS  AND  MEANS.  1.13 

amounting  in  all  to  $115,  that  she  might  honor  the  Lord 
with  her  substance.  Another,  Mrs.  ,  a  sewing- 
woman,  resolved  that  she  would  give  something  towards 
the  new  church  even  when  she  had  no  money  in  the 
house  to  give,  and  could  not  see  where  any  was  to  be 
obtained.  But  she  had  a  confident  assurance  that  "in 
some  way  or  other  the  Lord  would  provide,",  and  in  the 
bravery  of  her  humble  faith  began  to  pray  for  work.  And 
work  came,  "faster,"  she  said,  "than  ever  before,"  and 
in  such  abundance,  that  within  the  seven  weeks  allotted 
for  this  fund  she  collected  and  paid  from  the  proceeds  of 
her  needlework  $20  into  the  Lord's  treasury!  and  this  at 
a  time  when  needlework  was  not  remunerative. 

A  poor  washerwoman,  whose  husband  was  in  the 
army,  and  who  was  struggling  hard  with  three  children 
to  make  ends  meet,  promised  one  day  that  she  would 
give  $50  towards  the  new  building  "  if  the  bounty-money 
came  in."  Her  pastor  disapproved  of  her  giving  so  much, 
on  the  ground  that  she  needed  it  herself ;  and  really  did 
not  expect  to  receive  it,  knowing  that  people  are  apt  to 
be  far  more  generous  when  they  have  money  in  prospect 
than  when  they  have  it  in  hand.  But  the  good  woman 
was  very  much  in  earnest  in  the  matter,  and  when  the 
first  payment  was  received  from  the  government  turned 
over  $50  to  the  new  church. 

Another  very  interesting  illustration  of  the  genuine- 
ness and  simplicity  of  this  people's  faith  is  afforded  by 
the  conduct  of  a  member  of  the  church  who  was  engaged 
as  housekeeper  for  a  gentleman  residing  on  Fifth  avenue. 
She  had  managed  by  strict  economy  to  save  a  considera- 


144  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

ble  sum  of  money,  and  thought  it  her  privilege  to  give  at 
least  $100  towards  the  Memorial  Fund.  But  she  hesita- 
ted to  take  it  from  the  savings-bank  "before  the  first 
Sunday  of  May,"  as  would  be  necessary,  for  then  she 
must  lose  the  interest  on  it  for  six  months;  and  thrift 
had  made  her  conscientious.  But  she  considered  that 
unless  the  money  was  paid  "before  the  seventh  of  May" 
it  could  not  be  counted  in  the  "  Memorial  Fund ;"  the 
Lord  called  for  it  at  once,  and  it  should  be  paid  ;  He 
would  take  care  of  the  interest,  she  thought.  And  so 
she  drew  it  from  the  bank,  and  deposited  it  in  the  little 
box  "at  the  inner  door  of  the  chapel,"  with  which,  it  need 
hardly  be  said,  she  had  already  become  familiar.  The 
next  day  her  employer  sent  word  to  her  that  "  he  wished 
to  see  her  at  the  office,  as  he  had  something  special  to 
say ;"  and  when  she  went,  fearing  lest  for  some  reason 
she  might  be  discharged,  she  found  that  he  had  been  so 
much  pleased  with  her  services,  that  he  had  determined 
to  advance  her  wages  for  the  following  year,  beginning 
with  the  first  of  January,  then  already  three  months  past ; 
"and so,"  as  she  said  to  her  pastor  in  the  joy  of  her  sim- 
ple faith,  "  the  Lord  has  not  only  paid  me  back  all  my  inter- 
est, but  twice  as  much  besides,  and  is  going  to  keep  me  in 
mind  of  it  all  the  year  through!' 

It  would  be  easy  and  delightful  to  multiply  these 
illustrations  of  that  people's  faith,  who,  through  the 
deepest  poverty  and  darkest  griefs,  have  "  trusted  and 
obeyed ;"  but  their  record  is  on  high,  and  the  limits  of 
this  little  book  forbid  our  dwelling  more  upon  them  here. 


ARMY  LIFE.  145 


CHAPTER    VI. 

ARMY  LIFE  AND  TRA  VELS  IN  THE  EAST. 

While  Mr.  Payson's  whole  soul  was  aglow  with  zeal 
in  religious  work,  he  always  felt  and  exhibited  the  most 
lively  interest  in  public  affairs.  Whatever  tended  to 
promote  social  and  civil  welfare  ever  found  in  him  an 
ardent  friend  and  supporter.  As  an  illustration  of  this 
fact  may  be  mentioned  an  incident  that  occurred  during 
his  seminary  course. 

"  It  was  in  1856,"  writes  a  friend, "  when  the  exciting 
and  momentous  Presidential  canvass  was  in  progress, 
with  '  Fremont  and  Freedom,'  for  the  watchword  upon 
the  one  side,  and  James  Buchanan  as  the  leader  upon 
the  other.  Many  felt  that  the  very  salvation  of  the 
republic  was  involved  in  the  issue.  This  political  ex- 
citement stirred  even  the  quiet  retreat  of  the  theological 
seminary,  and  during  the  summer  vacation,  Mr.  Payson, 
in  company  with  a  classmate,  set  out  upon  a  campaign 
in  one  of  the  interior  counties  of  New  York.  They  went 
from  place  to  place,  addressing  the  people  night  after 
night,  upon  the  vital  questions  of  the  great  political 
issue.  Large  and  attentive  audiences  listened  to  those 
volunteer  politicians,  who  for  the  time  entered  heartily 
into  the  work  of  doing  their  part  to  uphold  freedom  of 
speech  for  the  press,  and  for  all  the  people  of  the  land. 

"  Into  this  work  Mr.  Payson  put  his  entire  energies, 

All  For  Christ.  \  3 


146  ALL  FOR  CLiRLST. 

with  that  contagious  enthusiasm  which  always  charac- 
terized his  labors.  Nor  from  that  day  onward  did  he 
ever  cease  to  be  profoundly  interested  in  the  material 
welfare  of  his  country,  and  ready  always  to  do  his  duty 
as  a  citizen.  As  Paul,  though  an  apostle,  never  forgot 
that  he  was  a  Roman  citizen,  so  Mr.  Payson,  though  a 
minister  of  the  gospel,  never  forgot  that  he  was  an 
American." 

During  the  progress  of  the  war  also  he  took  an  active 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Union  army,  not  only  en- 
couraging his  people  to  send  contributions  of  clothing 
and  money,  but  volunteering  himself  to  serve  in  the 
field  and  hospital  as  a  member  of  the  Christian  Com- 
mission. A  brief  account  of  this  experience  appears  in 
the  following  letter  to  his  brother: 

New  York,  July  5,  1864,      ) 
No.  95  East  Thirty-sixth  street.  ) 

Dear  G : .  .  I  have  been  down  with  fever  and  ague  since  my  return 

from  the  White  House,  so  that  on  Sunday  I  could  not  preach,  and  the 
rest  of  the  time  could  only  crawl  about ...  I  don't  know  how  much  you 
know  of  my  Washington  trip,  but  will  only  say  that  I  went  under  the  care 
of  the  Christian  Commission,  stayed  in  Washington  one  week,  working 
in  hospitals,  storehouses,  etc.,  then  down  to  the  White  House,  where  I 
stayed  another  week — suffering  all  the  time  from  fever  and  ague,  and  so 
much  that  I  could  not  make  an  effort  to  get  to  the  army  and  hunt  out 

E .*     I  was,  it  seems,  within  eight  miles  of  him,  but  returned  without 

seeing  him.  We  had  to  take  care  of  450  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  on 
our  return  to  Washington,  and  a  hard  time  we  had.  It  was  a  perfect 
pest-house.  It  used  me  up,  and  though  I  am  much  better  this  week,  I 
need  rest.  .  .  . 

A  letter  to  Mrs.  Payson  at  this  time  is  dated 

Washington,  May  30,  1S64. 
My  dear  Wife  :  You  see  by  the  date  of  my  letter  I  am  still  here  in 
Washington.     Grant's  changes  have  prevented  us  from  moving.     He  has 
*  A  brother  then  serving  as  chaplain  of  the  146th  Regiment,  N.  Y.  S.  V. 


ARMY  LIFE.  147 

already  had  two  bases,  Fredericksburg  and  Port  Royal.  He  is  now 
receiving  his  supplies  through  West  Point  and  White  House,  whither  we 
expect  to  go  to-day.  I  looked  for  a  letter  from  you  on  Saturday  and 
Sunday,  but  none  came  on  either  dny.  I  was  sorely  disappointed,  for  I 
feel  anxious  about  the  child.  I  had  to  work  hard  Saturday,  not  getting 
through  till  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  We  had  a  nice  time  Saturday  morn- 
ing opening  boxes  from  the  different  churches,  of  which  I  will  tell  you 
more  when  T  see  you. 

In  the  afternoon  some  twenty  of  us  paid  our  respects  to  the  Presi- 
dent. He  made  a  characteristic  speech  to  us,  shook  hands  all  round,  and 
gave  us  several  autographs  on  the  spot,  of  which  I  secured  afterwards  a 
due  share.  That  night  I  went  out  some  two  and  a  half  miles  to  Emory 
Hospital,  after  working  a  couple  of  hours  in  putting  up  a  tent  to  sleep  in 
when  I  returned.  Returned  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  laid  down  on  the  boards 
with  about  thirty  others  to  sleep.  Being  very  tired  I  rested  better  than 
you  might  have  imagined.  Yesterday  morning  I  attended  Dr.  Gurley's 
church  where  I  heard  a  very  good  sermon  on  our  life  being  hid  with 
Christ  in  God.  At  four  o'clock  went  out  to  the  Stone  Hospital  and 
talked — was  back  at  eight  o'clock,  tired  enough  to  camp  down  for  the 
night.  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  work  hard  to-day  getting  our  vessels 
loaded.  It  is  only  about  six  o'clock,  and  I  hope  to  get  two  nice  letters 
when  the  postoffice  opens  at  eight.  I  wish  I  could  run  in  and  see  you  a 
few  minutes  before  we  start  off.  Take  good  care  of  yourself  and  the  baby. 
How  does  he  enjoy  the  new  baby-carriage  ? 

I  have  just  received  your  welcome  letter  of  Saturday,  and  am  so  re- 
joiced to  know  that  you  and  baby  are  so  well  ....  We  shall  leave  here 
in  a  few  minutes  for  the  White  House  landing — shall  go  down  by  steam. 
Probably  you  will  not  hear  from  me  for  two  or  three  days  at  least.  Be  of 
good  courage.  May  God  take  good  care  of  you  all.  Many  kisses  and 
love  in  quantities  to  wife,  baby,  and  all.     Pray  for  me.     I  read  in  Acts 

every  morning — I  have  no  Psalms.     Any  word  from  E ? 

Yours  ever,  C.  H.  PAYSON. 

White  House,  June  31,  1864. 

My  dear  Wife:  On  a  wet  morning,  under  a  dirty  tent,  surrounded 
by  a  talking  company,  I  will  try  and  describe  a  little  of  what  I  have  gone 
through  since  I  sent  you  my  unsigned  letter. 

We  arrived  at  White  House  at  three  o'clock,  ....  reported  imme- 
diately, and  were  soon  on  shore  pitching  our  tents.  In  an  hour  an  order 
came  for  me  to  go  and  get  our  steam-tug  and  bring  it  down,  so  that  the 
delegates  could  go  over  and  make  ready  to  relieve  the  wounded  men 
coming  in.  We  had  a  fearful  time  reaching  our  destination.  First  our 
tug  got  aground,  and  it  was  some  time  before  we  were  free.    It  was  dark — 


i4S  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

nine  in  the  evening  you  must  remember.  No  one  on  board  knew  the 
way  ....  In  five  minutes  more  an  eddy  caught  us,  and  smash !  crash ! 
we  went  into  a  gunboat.  I  did  not  know  for  a  moment  but  we  were  lost. 
But  we  grappled  the  gunboat  and  found  after  all  that  we  were  safe.  Then 
we  took  to  the  little  boat,  rowing  a  long  way,  and  going  four  times  back 
and  forth  to  land  our  stores  ;  then  a  walk  along  the  edge  of  the  railroad 
bridge  and  the  sand  bank,  coming  every  few  steps  to  a  narrow  pass  where 
we  ran  the  risk  of  plunging  into  the  river.  In  this  way  we  passed  to  the 
other  side  where  with  lanterns  dimly  burning,  we  pitched  our  tents,  kin- 
dled fires,  and  at  twelve  o'clock  laid  our  weary  bodies  to  rest,  as  the  train 
of  wounded  men  had  not  yet  arrived. 

At  three  o'clock  we  were  up  and  had  some  crackers  and  coffee.  Then 
we  buried  a  poor  fellow  who  was  found  on  the  beach  drowned,  no  one 
knew  how.     It  was  really  sad. 

We  had  come  back  to  the  other  side  of  the  river  and  had  just  lain 
down  to  sleep,  when  another  order  came  that  six  hundred  wounded  men 
had  arrived  and  that  every  man  must  proceed  to  the  other  side.  As  you 
can  imagine  I  was  hardly  fit  to  go,  but  back  we  went  in  the  broiling  sun. 
You  must  know  that  the  bridge  across  the  Pamunkey  was  burned  a  week 
or  more  since,  and  so  all  those  poor  fellows  had  to  stay  over  on  the  other 
side — in  sight  of  the  steamboats — crowded  in  the  supply  wagons,  where 
they  had  lain  for  two  days  and  nights  already.  We  were  soon  distribu- 
ting coffee,  tea,  wine,  bread,  cordials,  etc.,  among  them.     One  lady,  a  Mrs. 

II ,  rendered  invaluable  aid,  getting  into  the  wagons,  washing  the  faces 

of  the  sick  and  caring  for  them  tenderly.  At  twelve  o'clock  I  was  com- 
pletely exhausted  and  had  to  go  into  the  woods  and  rest. 

During  the  afternoon  six  hundred  more  wounded  men  were  received, 
making  twelve  hundred  in  all.  A  heavy  thunder-storm  came  on,  and  in 
the  midst  of  it  the  poor  fellows  were  brought  over  and  put  on  board  the 
steamers  for  Washington.  I  slept  splendidly  last  night  and  had  a  good 
breakfast. 

Do   write  me  every  day,  and  direct  care  of  Christian   Commission, 

Washington,  or  I  shall  get  nothing.     Ask  Mr. to  supply  my  pulpit  as 

he  proposed,  a  week  from  next  Sunday.  Send  me  the  Times  every  morn- 
ing, please,  after  you  have  read  it.     S can  run  to  the  postofhce  with  it. 

I  can  get  hold  of  no  papers  here.  Much  love  to  all.  How  much  I  want 
to  hear  from  you  and  see  you.     Ever  yours,  CHARLIE. 

Some  additional  light  is  thrown  upon  this  brief  chap- 
ter in  his  life  by  the  following  reminiscences  of  an  asso- 
ciate. 


ARMY  LIFE.  149 

Portland,  May  25,  1877. 
Dear  Sir:  Your  note  of  the  22d  was  received  last  night.     My  ac- 
quaintance with  Rev.  Charles  H.  Payson  was  too  brief  and  too  long  ago  to 
enable  me  to  make  any  satisfactory  reply  to  your  inquiry. 

It  is  almost  thirteen  years,  (May  30,  1864,)  since  I  first  met  him  on  a 
steamer,  bound  for  the  White  House,  with  a  party  of  volunteers  in  the 
service  of  the  Christian  Commission.  But  for  one  incident  we  might  have 
parted  as  great  strangers  as  we  first  met.  Outside  of  the  prayer-meeting 
there  is  little  social  Christian  fellowship  under  such  circumstances.  The 
wounded  and  dying  absorb  all  sympathy  as  well  as  time.  Human  suffer- 
ings monopolize  every  thought,  despite  the  clatter  of  army  wagons,  the 
bray  of  mules,  the  shriek  of  steamers,  and  other  paraphernalia  of  war. 

The  continuous  battles  at  Cold  Harbor  had  so  multiplied  the  number 
of  the  wounded  that  the  immense  hospital  provision  at  the  White  House 
proved  insufficient.  Orders  came  to  send  the  wounded  soldiers  to  the  North. 
A  steamer  was  loaded,  and  eight  members  of  the  Christian  Commission 
were  selected  to  accompany  this  living  cargo  oifour  hundred  and  fifty-two 
sick  and  suffering  men  to  Washington !  At  midnight  brother  Payson  and 
myself  were  aroused  and  asked  to  take  the  places  of  two  of  the  delegates 
who  had  failed.  We  arose,  and  went  on  board  the  boat  Utica  at  about  one 
o'clock  Sunday  morning.  This  transport  had  discharged  a  load  of  mules 
the  day  before  and  there  had  not  been  time  to  have  it  properly  cleaned. 
A  generous  quantity  of  straw  was  provided,  to  afford  bedding,  and  to  cov- 
er the  dirt ;  but  the  air  was  offensive. 

The  soldiers  were  put  on  board  the  night  before.  Some  were  taken 
from  the  army  wagons,  directly  from  the  battle-field,  and  were  suffering 
from  undressed  wounds  as  well  as  from  the  fatigues  of  the  journey,  and 
all  the  wants  common  to  the  sick  and  suffering.  They  were  distributed 
over  the  decks,  in  the  cabin,  and  wherever  room  could  be  found  for  a 
man's  body.  This  temporary  hospital  was  divided  into  eight  wards,  al- 
lowing fifty  patients  to  a  "  nurse,"  as  we  were  called.  My  assignment 
was  between  the  wheel-house  and  cabin ;  brother  Payson  had  charge  of 
the  cabin,  so  that  from  our  juxtaposition  we  were  closely  associated  for 
two  long  days  and  nights.  We  were  on  board  but  a  few  hours  before  we 
were  summoned  around  a  dying  man,  who  was  in  my  ward,  but  lay  at  the 
door  of  brother  Payson's  companion  way. 

One  sick  in  our  families  at  home  taxes  the  time  of  the  entire 
household ;  here  were  more  than  fifty  men  to  one  nurse.  It  required 
four  pailfuls  of  water  to  make  one  round ;  then  were  distributed  coffee, 
beef-tea,  pork  and  beans,  lemonade  and  medicines  as  the  various  patients 
required;  the  spare  moments  being  filled  up  with  drawing  water  for 
wounds,  stirring  up  the  straw  pallets,  changing  bandages,  etc.,  besides  tak- 
ing messages  and  writing  letters  to  be  forwarded  from  Washington.     Such 


1 5o  ALL  FOR  CILRLST. 

was  our  work  during  the  forty-eight  hours  of  this  "middle  passage" — 3 
labor  that  engaged  the  active  hands  and  sympathetic  heart  of  Mr.  Paysor. 
to  the  utmost.  His  great  executive  ability,  quickened  by  religious  princi- 
ple, rendered  his  services  invaluable.  This  close  though  brief  communion 
of  heart  with  heart  awakened  a  friendship  to  be  obliterated  by  death  only. 
But  the  great  Captain  of  our  salvation  knows  best  where  and  how  to  oc- 
cupy his  soldiers.  When  they  are  summoned  to  the  front  it  is  for  good 
reasons.  "  What  thou  knowest  not  now,  thou  shalt  know  hereafter." 
Very  truly  yours,  but  in  haste,  C.  A.  L . 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Payson  did  not 
leave  his  field  again,  except  for  the  ordinary  summer  va- 
cations, until  February,  1873.  In  fulfilment  of  a  long- 
cherished  plan,  he  then  sailed  for  Europe,  in  company 
with  his  brother,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  Holy 
Land.  His  first  letter  is  dated  "Feb.  12,  1873,  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  Ireland,"  and  is,  in  part,  as  follows  : 

My  Dear  Wife  :   Here  we  are,  still  at  sea We  shall  be  at 

least  fourteen  days  on  our  passage.  This  is  partly  accounted  for  by  the 
storm  we  encountered,  which  compelled  us  to  lie  to  for  twelve  hours,  and 

delayed  us  more  or  less  for  five  days The  captain  said  it  was  the 

most  dangerous  storm  he  had  seen  this  winter — waves  rolling  forty  feet 
high  and  the  wind  a  cyclone.* ....  It  was  a  comfort  to  feel  that  every 
drop  of  the  ocean  and  every  atom  of  air  was  in  our  Father's  hand,  doing 
his  will,  and  that  nothing  could  touch  us  except  as  he  wished. 

The  last  three  days  have  been  as  bright  and  spring-like  as  those  five 
were  dark  and  gloomy.  Sunday  was  a  splendid  day,  sun  out  bright  and 
clear,  sea  smooth,  health  returning,  service  in  the  cabin  in  the  afternoon, 

E reading  and  conducting  the  service,  and  I  preaching.     At  noon 

there  was  a  beautiful  rainbow,  forming  a  semicircle  and  stretching  its 
broad  base  a  mile  apparently  across  the  waves. 

In  the  evening  there  was  something  still  more  beautiful.  As  we  were 
walking  the  deck  we  saw  little  skimmers  of  auroral  light  flashing  up  to 
the  zenith.  In  a  few  moments,  however,  they  were  all  gathered  in  what 
you  might  call  an  electric  cloud,  stretching  from  the  northeast  to  north- 
west, so  thin  that  you  could  see  the  stars  through  it,  while  along  its 
whole  length  the  most  beautiful  colors  chased  each  other  in  swift  succes- 
*  One  of  the  sailors  was  swept  overboard  and  lost. 


TRAVELS  IN  THE  EAST.  151 

sion.  Now  it  seemed  to  be  the  pearl-keyed  finger-board  of  some  great 
organ  over  which  celestial  fingers  were  flashing,  and  whose  music  could 
be  heard  had  we  only  a  sense  to  catch  it.  Anon  it  seemed  as  if  troops  of 
angels,  clothed  in  rainbow  hues,  were  flashing  in  alternate  squadrons  far 
across  the  heavens.  You  may  think  me  enthusiastic.  But  when  I  tell 
you  that  our  captain  said  that  in  all  his  voyages  he  had  never  seen  the 
like,  you  can  realize  it  was  something  really  magnificent. 

Our  captain,  by-the-way,  is  a  genius.  He  is  a  great  linguist,  speaking 
French,  German,  Swedish,  Russ,  Italian,  Arabic,  Spanish,  and  I  know  not 
what.  He  is  also  quite  a  musician,  playing  clarionet,  concertina,  violin, 
and  piano,  all  of  which  we  have  heard— as  the  steward  says,  "A  good 
few  "  of  instruments.  He  is,  moreover,  quite  a  writer  and  poet,  and  has 
entertained  us  with  a  rich  fund  of  anecdote  and  adventure  all  the  way 
over. 

After  spending  a  few  days  in  Great  Britain,  stopping 
at  Glasgow,  Edinburg,  and  London,  Mr.  Payson  and  his 
brother  hastened,  by  way  of  Munich,  Innsbruck,  Verona, 
and  Florence,  to  Rome,  where  they  met  another  younger 
brother,  and  made  up  a  party  for  Egypt  and  the  Holy 
Land.  After  spending  a  few  days  in  Naples  and  its  vi- 
cinity, they  sailed  for  Alexandria,  and  visited  Cairo,  the 
Pyramids  of  Gizeh,  Ismailia,  and  the  Suez  Canal.  At 
Port  Said  they  took  the  steamer  for  Jaffa,  where  they 
arrived  upon  a  calm  and  sunny  day,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
proverbially  rough  sea  and  the  yells  and  shrieks  of  the 
barbaric  Arab  boatmen,  who,  as  every  traveller  testifies, 
are  really  quite  as  much  of  a  hindrance  as  a  help  in 
reaching  the  shore,  did  get  safely  to  land  and  secure  a 
dragoman  to  conduct  them  to  Ramleh.  Here  in  the  old 
convent  they  spent  the  night.  The  following  day  they 
reached  Jerusalem,  and  his  next  letter  is  dated  from  this 
centre  of  Christendom,  the  dear  and  ancient  city  so  sa- 
cred to  every  Christian  heart. 


152  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 


TO    HIS    SISTER    IN    CHINA. 

Dear  D :  In  our  journeyings  among  nominal  Christians  and  su- 
perstitious heathen,  I  have  thought  very  often  of  you  and  your  laborious 
work.  How  much  there  is  to  discourage  you  !  When  you  look  at  the 
teeming  millions  about  you,  and  then  at  the  little  handful  that  you  and 
others  reach,  it  must  weigh  you  to  the  ground,  especially  when  you  feel 
that  your  labors  so  little  impress  those  whom  you  have  reached.  But  be 
of  good  courage  !  Jesus  worked  here  in  a  little  land  one-third  of  whose 
whole  area  I  saw  from  the  tower  of  Mizpeh  the  other  afternoon.  His 
work  was  only  for  three  years  in  this  contracted  space,  and  yet  to-day  it 
fills  the  world.  Work  on,  then,  in  his  strength,  for  you  know  he  works 
with  you,  and  his  word  is  leaven  which  shall  leaven  the  whole  lump. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  vivid  and  intensely  interesting  all  these  scenes 
are,  and  especially  those  connected  with  the  Bible.  Those  old  names  and 
places  which  we  have  known  and  learned  to  love,  catch  new  life  and  power 
here,  and  it  seems  as  if  we  could  step  into  the  brotherhood  of  the  ancient 
patriarchs  and  prophets,  and  feel  that  they  were  indeed  men  of  like  pas- 
sions and  trials  with  ourselves,  and  that  as  they  have  conquered,  so  can 
we  also. 

Jerusalem,  March  24,  1873. 

My  Dear,  Dear  Wife  :  How  long  it  seems  since  a  word  reached  us 
from  our  homes.  At  London,  Munich,  and  Rome,  we  were  gladdened — 
since  then  nothing.  Possibly  to-morrow  friends  may  bring  us  news.  If 
so  we  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  see  what  we  hoped  to  see  at  Cairo.  It 
is  only  some  ten  days  since  we  landed  in  Alexandria,  and  yet  it  seems  an 
age.  If  I  should  write  you  only  a  part  of  what  we  see  each  day,  it  would 
make  a  book. 

How  I  wish  I  could  just  sit  down  this  evening  and  tell  you  and  the 
dear  children  how  we  rode  out  to  the  Pyramids  in  a  carriage,  accompa- 
nied by  two  donkeys,  on  which  we  took  turns  in  riding  and  being  laughed 
at.  It  seemed  as  if  we  never  could  get  to  those  huge  piles  that  seemed 
always  so  near  and  yet  so  far.  The  air  is  so  pure  it  deceives  you  com- 
pletely as  to  distance.  As  we  at  last  came  up  the  sand  plateau  on  which 
the  Pyramids  stand  on  the  very  edge  of  the  desert,  the  Arabs  came  run- 
ning together,  and  soon  we  were  going  up  those  steep  steps  at  a  great 
rate,  with  one  Arab  on  each  side  and  another  behind  pushing  at  the  high- 
est steps.  When  I  tell  you  that  most  of  those  steps  were  like  stepping 
from  the  floor  to  the  top  of  the  table,  and  that  there  were  about  three  hun- 
drtd  of  them,  you  can  understand  that  it  was  some  work  to  go  up.  The 
view  was  grand.  On  one  side  the  desert  stretching  away  towards  the  At- 
lantic as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.     On  the  other,  Cairo  and  the  huge 


TRAVELS  IN  THE  EAST  153 

hills  behind  it  of  sand — between  the  broad,  beautiful  plain  conquered  out 
of  these  very  sands  by  the  Nile.  It  was  interesting  to  see  the  struggle 
going  on  between  the  desert  and  the  great  river.  It  is  not  strange  that 
the  Egyptians  should  have  worshipped  the  Nile.  It  is  to  them  a  most 
glorious  benefactor 

At  noon  we  reached  Jaffa.  The  sea  was  very  smooth,  so  that  we 
went  into  its  ten-feet-wide  port  with  safety ;  rode  that  night  until  eleven 
and  a  half  o'clock  to  Kamleh  ;  slept  in  the  convent,  and  were  off  next 
morning  to  Beth-horon  at  six  o'clock  over  such  paths  (they  could  not  be 
called  roads)  as  I  never  saw  in  all  my  life.  We  were  intensely  interested 
in  the  Valley  of  Ajalon,  Beth-horon,  Gibeon  the  Royal,  and  above  all, 
Mizpeh,  from  whose  lofty  tower  we  could  see  across  the  land,  from  the 
mountains  of  Moab  on  the  east  to  the  waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  north 
as  far  as  Ophra,  and  south  to  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem.  I  cannot  tell 
you  my  emotions  as  I  looked  over  that  wonderful  scene.  At  my  feet  Sam- 
uel had  gathered  the  people  to  elect  their  king ;  here  he  had  erected 
Ebenezer ;  one  half  hour  away  at  Gibeon  the  tabernacle  had  found  a 
place  for  years,  where  Solomon  offered  so  many  sacrifices  and  received 
the  wonderful  vision  promising  him  wisdom ;  then  there  was  Jerusalem, 
that  centre  of  the  earth's  worship,  where  the  man  Christ  Jesus  preached 
and  suffered,  died  and  ascended.  I  could  not  keep  back  the  tears.  It 
was  the  sublimest  view  of  my  life. 

Since  that  I  have  stood  at  the  foot  and  on  the  summit  of  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  and  I  feel  more  and  more  there  is  no  place  like  it  on  the  earth. 
Yesterday  (Sunday)  we  walked  over  the  Mount  to  Bethany,  and  it  was 
delightful  to  feel  that  we  were  looking  on  the  same  hills,  valleys,  and  sky, 
on  which  Jesus  looked  when  on  earth.  I  know  not  why,  but  they  are  far 
more  to  me  than  Jerusalem  itself.  We  expect  to  leave  here  for  Hebron 
and  the  Jordan  to-morrow,  returning  to  Jerusalem  to  spend  the  Sabbath, 
then  on  to  Nazareth,  Damascus,  Beirut,  and  beyond :  shall  leave  Beirut 
(D.  V.)  the  21st  of  April  for  Smyrna,  Constantinople,  and  the  Danube.  I 
wish  I  could  tell  you  where  to  write  next  after  receiving  this,  but  I  can  say 
nothing  more  definite  than  Paris.  I  hoped  to  write  the  children,  but  fear 
I  cannot  to-night.  May  God  bless  you  and  keep  you  all.  Love  to  all  the 
dear  ones  at  Orange,  and  at  the  chapel  that  ask  after  me. 

Yours  ever,  CHARLES. 

In  Camp,  Joppa  Gate,     \ 

Jerusalem,  March  31,  1873.  > 

My  Dear,  Dear  Wife  :  How  I  wish  I  could  see  all  your  dear  faces 

to-night,  and  sleep  under  my  own  comfortable  roof,  spite  of  all  I   am 

enjoying.     I  have  reached  the  last  half  of  my  time,  and  can  hope  soon,  if 

the  good  Loid  wills,  to  see  you  all  again.     It  is  so  very  long  since  either 


1 54  ALL  FOR  CILRLST. 

E or  I  have  heard  a  single  word  from  our  families.    At  Naples,  Cairo, 

Jerusalem,  the  same  cruel  "Nothing"  has  greeted  all  our  inquiries.  And 
now  we  must  leave  to-morrow  without  the  slightest  prospect  of  a  letter  till 
we  reach  Beirut.  We  must  make  the  best  of  it,  I  suppose,  and  I  will 
endeavor  to  drive  it  from  my  mind  by  telling  you  something  of  our  tent- 
life  and  the  strange  experiences  through  which  we  are  passing. 

A  week  ago  last  Tuesday  we  started  from  Jerusalem  for  the  pools  of 
Solomon,  about  two  and  a  half  hours  from  here,  to  begin  camp-life.     Our 

dragoman,  Esau  Malook,  had  six  horses  ready  for  Messrs.  N ,  S 

of  Dayton,  Ohio,  a  young  Englishman,  E ,  G ,  and  myself.      The 

wind  blew  so  fiercely  that,  just  before  we  reached  Rachel's  Tomb,  it  sent 
my  hat  spinning  across  the  fields,  spite  of  the  elastic  by  which  it  was  fast- 
ened, and  threatened  to  blow  every  garment  I  wore  after  it.  About  six 
o'clock  we  came  to  our  camp,  already  prepared  for  us.  We  found  three 
tents.  They  were  about  fourteen  feet  across.  Two  of  them  were  sleeping 
tents,  each  of  which  contained  three  iron  bedsteads  for  as  many  individu- 
als, with  beds  and  covering. . . .  Rugs  covered  the  ground  within  ;  a  table 
fastened  to  the  tent-pole  adorned  the  centre,  while  nice  camp-stools  were 
arranged  for  seats.  The  third  tent  served  as  dining-room.  We  were 
hungry  as  bears,  and  you  will  sympathize  with  us  when  I  tell  you  of  the 
fare  to  which  our  cook  subjected  us:  (i)  Soup  ;  (2)  fish  ;  (3)  mutton  roast, 
with  peas ;  (4)  birds,  with  salad,  in  sauce ;  (5)  apricots,  deliciously  cooked  ; 
(6)  oranges,  nuts,  dates,  and  raisins,  with  good  tea  and  coffee.  Don't  you 
pity  us  ? 

For  breakfast  we  have  eggs,  either  boiled,  fried,  or  in  omelette,  mut- 
ton chops  and  potatoes,  with  coffee,  tea,  or  chocolate,  as  we  may  choose. 
At  noon,  by  the  wayside,  under  some  shadowy  tree,  we  usually  have  a  cold 
lunch  of  chicken,  mutton,  sardines,  ham,  nuts,  raisins,  and  oranges,  on 
which  we  have  thus  far  managed  to  survive  till  dinner  came  again. 

When  I  tell  you  that  the  roughest  roads  in  North  Lyme  are  better 
than  the  best  here,  and  that  such  a  thing  as  a  carriage  is  unknown,  you 
will  wonder  how  it  is  possible  for  these  dragomen  to  carry  so  much  com- 
fort around  with  them.  They  do  it  by  means  of  donkeys,  on  whose  backs 
they  strap  not  only  tents,  bedsteads,  etc.,  but  huge  boxes  full  of  crockery, 
so  full  that  they  can  change  the  plates  and  knives  and  forks  (the  latter  sil- 
ver, the  former  Sheffield  cutlery)  between  each  course. 

Wednesday  morning  at  eight  o'clock  we  were  off  for  Hebron.  Cook's 
party  had  three-quarters  of  an  hour  the  start,  but  we  caught  them  in  two 
hours,  and  rode  with  them,  in  a  dense  fog  or  drizzling  rain,  all  the  way  to 
Hebron.  We  soon  came  upon  the  vineyards  of  Eschol.  The  whole  of 
this  part  of  the  country  is  given  up  to  the  vine.  Hebron,  lying  in  the 
midst  of  a  beautiful  valley,  is  a  lively  place  of  about  eight  thousand  inhab- 
itants.   We  rode  along  the  narrow  streets,  about  as  wide  as  our  sidewalks, 


TRAVELS  IN  THE  EAST.  155 

jostling  among  the  people,  till  at  last  we  came  to  what  seemed  part  of  a 
house.  It  was  all  covered  over,  and  so  full  of  people  that  I  should  as 
soon  have  thought  of  riding  into  a  large  store.  As  I  led  the  party,  I  came 
to  an  abrupt  halt.  A  man,  however,  took  my  horse  by  the  head,  and  led 
us  along  till  we  came  to  a  sharp  turn,  when  we  saw  the  Mosque  of  Mach- 
pelah  right  before  us.  We  could  only  look  at  the  outside,  as  they  do  not 
permit  Christians  to  enter. 

We  took  our  lunch  in  the  sheik's  house,  and  saw  a  woman  with  paint- 
ed eyes  sitting  on  the  floor  grinding  barley.  The  upper  millstone  whirled 
around  on  another  hollow  stone,  which  had  a  little  trough  by  the  side  of 
it  into  which  the  meal  rolled  as  it  was  ground.  After  lunch  we  rode  about 
twenty-five  minutes,  and  this  brought  us  to  the  famous  old  oak  of  Abra- 
ham, under  which,  it  is  said,  he  entertained  the  angels.  It  is  the  only  tree 
of  the  kind  in  this  region,  and  if  not  the  tree  ( ! )  appears  more  worthy  of 
the  honor  than  any  we  saw  elsewhere.  It  rained  very  fast ;  but,  thanks  to 
overcoat  and  shawl,  which  I  wrapped  around  me,  I  was  able  to  keep  pretty 
dry.  I  have  been  a  little  prolix  in  my  description  of  twenty-four  hours, 
because  it  will  help  you  to  understand  that  during  the  next  four  days  we 
enjoyed  much  in  journeying  to  Bethlehem,  Mar  Saba,  the  Dead  Sea,  Jor- 
dan, Jericho,  and  Jerusalem. 

I  never  felt  better  than  I  do  now,  and  I  can  but  hope  that  this  tent- 
life  will  give  me  a  vigor  and  energy  I  have  not  enjoyed  for  months.  We 
had  a  most  capital  sermon  from  Rev.  Mr.  Aspinwall  of  New  York,  and  a 
delightful  communion-service  yesterday  morning,  at  the  English  chapel, 
under  the  care  of  Bishop  Gobat.  I  send  as  much  love  as  this  little  sheet 
can  carry  to  all  my  dear  friends  in  Orange  and  the  chapel.  Please  remem- 
ber me  most  kindly  to  all  who  think  of  me. 

Your  good  letter  directed  to  Naples  I  have  just  received.  It  has  been 
lying  in  the  postoffice  a  week  in  an  out-of-way  place.  We  shall  go  from 
Beirut  to  Athens,  and  thence  to  Constantinople,  where  we  shall  be  in 
about  thirty-three  days.  We  leave  for  Bethel  in  a  few  minutes  now,  and  I 
have  no  more  time  to  write.     With  much  love, 

Your  own,  C . 

Damascus,  April,  1S73. 

My  Dear,  Dear  Wife  :  You  do  not  know  how  glad  I  am  to  feel 
that  from  this  old  city  my  homeward  journey  begins.  This  is  our  extreme 
eastern  limit,  and  now  "  Westward  the  star,"  etc.  It  seems  so  very  long 
since  I  saw  all  your  dear  faces. 

This  Damascus  is  a  quaint  old  place,  with  a  beauty  all  its  own.  Its 
abundant  water  is  its  greatest  glory.  Take  away  the  Awaj  and  Barada  of 
to-day,  or  the  Pharphar  and  the  Abana  of  the  past,  and  Damascus  is  a 
desert,  like  the  great  waste  of  sand  which  surrounds  it.     As  it  is,  you  see 


156  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

a  large  city  of  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants  (surrounded  by  one  hundred 
villages,  containing  some  fifty  thousand  more)  buried  in  gardens  and  trees, 
vocal  with  running  brooks  and  gushing  fountains,  and  the  whole  set  in  a 
frame  that  adds  not  a  little  to  the  picture — a  desert,  and  barren  or  snow- 
covered  mountains. 

I  wish  I  could  give  you  a  sight  of  the  moon  as  it  rises  night  after 
night  behind  the  minarets  of  the  city  and  the  minaret-shaped  poplars 
which  grace  the  gardens  here.  There  is  a  peculiar  golden  tinge  to  the 
desert  air  that  surrounds  it  which  makes  you  feel  yourself  in  dream-land 
at  once,  and  ready  to  listen  to  the  "Arabian  Nights"  or  any  similar  enter- 
tainment. And  if  you  saunter  along  down  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  see 
the  lights  gleaming  through  the  lattices,  or  weird  processions  coming  out 
of  narrow  streets,  guiding  their  steps  by  gauze,  glass,  or  paper  lanterns, 
you  feel  as  though  it  was  not  reality,  but  a  picture  of  the  lotus-eater's 
imagination  on  which  you  were  gazing.  You  will  think  I  am  just  giving 
wing  to  fancies,  but  I  assure  you  I  never  saw  a  city  like  this  before. 

Since  I  wrote  the  first  page  I  have  taken  a  canter  with  the  rest  of  the 
party  up  to  the  sand-hill  back  of  the  city.  The  clouds  which  hung  over  us 
seemed  made  of  desert  sand  instead  of  mist,  and  fell  down  about  the  hill 
in  the  most  peculiar  folds,  threatening  to  break  upon  us  at  any  moment. 
As  we  turned  and  looked  back  upon  the  city,  I  was  quite  unprepared  for 
the  scene.  There  it  lay — Church's  picture — with  its  white  towers,  houses, 
domes,  and  minarets,  perfectly  embowered  in  the  greenest  foliage — a  beau- 
tiful pearl  set  in  brightest  emerald.  As  we  came  back  we  peered  over 
walls  six  or  eight  feet  high,  made  of  mud,  into  the  hidden  beauties  of  gar- 
dens filled  with  apricot,  quince,  peach,  orange,  lemon,  pomegranate,  and 
various  other  fruit-trees,  with  grains,  grasses,  and  herbs  of  every  kind 
interspersed.  Everything  depends  on  the  water;  hence  you  find  the  peo- 
ple making  what  may  be  called  sunken  beds,  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet 
long,  and  twelve  or  fourteen  wide,  which  they  surround  with  a  little  bank 
some  six  inches  high.  Into  any  one  of  these  beds  they  can  turn  the  many 
streams,  which  appear  to  gush  forth  on  every  side,  until  it  is  sufficiently 
moistened,  when  they  divert  them  into  some  other  thirsty  bed. 

Yesterday  I  preached  for  Dr.  Patterson,  one  of  the  pastors  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Mission,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  service.  Most  of 
the  audience  were  travellers  whom  I  have  met  from  time  to  time  as  our 
paths  have  crossed  in  coming  from  Jerusalem  here.  To-morrow  we  leave 
for  Beirut,  and  I  will  try  to  write  you  another  page  about  the  ruins  and 
Lebanon. 

Here  I  am,  dear  M ,  up  among  these  wonderful  ruins  of  old  Baal- 

bec.  I  thought,  from  my  reading,  I  was  somewhat  prepared  for  them,  but 
the  tenth  part  was  not  told  me.  At  first  sight  you  are  impressed  with  the 
grandeur  of  the  buildings.     Think  of  one  structure  with  an  entrance  or 


TRAVELS  IN  THE  EAST  157 

vestibule  1S0  feet  wide  and  37  feet  deep,  approached  formerly  by  not  less 
than  250  steps.  Then  comes  a  beautiful  hexagon  room  200  feet  across  ; 
then  a  large  court,  with  several  recesses  and  niches,  476  feet  wide  and  400 
long  ;  then  the  temple  proper,  300  feet  by  160,  surrounded  by  54  magnifi- 
cent columns,  6  standing,  the  remainder  on  the  ground,  or  carried  away. 
You  can  realize  the  size  better  when  I  tell  you  that,  as  I  stood  by  the  base 
of  one  of  these  fallen  columns,  it  reached  one  and  a  half  feet  above  my 
head,  being  about  8  feet  through  and  25  feet  round.  I  know  these  words 
convey  little,  if  any,  idea  of  it  to  you.  If  you  will  look  in  Thomson's 
"Land  and  Book,"  vol.  1,  p.  35S,  you  will  find  a  description  of  the  ruins 
and  a  plan  which  will  give  you  a  better  idea.  I  felt  their  grandeur  some- 
what as  I  rode  in  through  a  great  vaulted  archway,  which  must  have  been 
150  feet  long,  built  of  huge  stones  and  adorned  with  beautiful  faces  look- 
ing down  from  the  ceiling;  but  I  felt  it  most  of  all  when  I  stood  by 
the  side  of  the  immense  foundation-stones,  which  are  so  large  that  they 
gave  name  to  the  whole  building,  and  it  was  called  "Three-Stone  Tem- 
ple." They  are  each  over  60  feet  long  and  some  13  feet  square.  The 
three  stones  together  are  as  long  as  a  city  block,  and  the  whole  structure 
would  cover  from  Forty-second  street  to  Thirty-eighth  street,  and  from 
Lexington  to  Third  avenue. 

Adjoining  it  is  another  temple  called  the  "Great  Temple  of  the  Sun," 
or  Apollo.  It  is  as  beautiful  as  the  other  is  grand,  and  is  about  230  feet 
long  by  117  wide.  The  great  doorway  is  21  feet  wide  and  42  high.  It  is 
surrounded  by  the  most  exquisite  carvings  of  flowers,  fruits,  figures,  etc., 
4  feet  wide  on  each  side.  The  niches  inside  are  also  surrounded  by  carv- 
ings which  look  more  like  lace-work  than  stone.  One,  of  which  I  made  a 
little  sketch,  is  a  semicircle  in  shape,  some  35  feet  in  radius.  The  carved 
figures  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  little  arch  come  in  this  order  :  first,  four 
stalks  of  wheat,  then  a  grape  or  oak  leaf,  with  six  projections,  then  two 
seed-vesicles  of  the  poppy.  These  are  repeated  fourteen  times  in  this  one 
niche,  and  I  cannot  give  you  the  slightest  idea  of  their  exquisite  perfec- 
tion and  beauty.     Each  niche  has  its  own  distinct  design. 

I  wish  you  and  all  the  dear  friends  were  here  to  enjoy  this  admirable 
ruin,  so  beautifully  situated  between  Lebanon  and  Anti- Lebanon,  in  the 
lovely  valley  of  the  Burka,  which  opens  away  to  the  south  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach.  Thomson,  you  will  see,  argues  strongly  for  this  being  the 
Baal-gad  of  the  Bible,  and  thinks  the  ruins  indicate  the  hand  of  a  Solo- 
mon. It  is  singular  that  the  Mohammedans  attribute  them  to  Solomon, 
son  of  David.  A  beautiful  spring  gushes  forth  into  a  stream  half  a  mile 
from  here  and  flows  down  past  the  temple,  making  a  garden  of  beauty 
along  its  course. 

I  hope  this  has  not  wearied  you.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  happy  I  am 
to  face  westward.     Three  days  nearer  home  than  when  I  left  Damascus  ! 

14 


158  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

I  shall  expect  to  be  with  you  early  in  June.  We  think  now  of  going  by 
Constantinople  and  the  Danube,  Vienna,  Strasburg,  Paris,  London,  etc. 
Love  to  all  my  dear  friends  in  Orange  and  New  York,  Pray  for  me. 
Good-by.     Kisses  for  the  dear  children  from  PAPA. 

TO   HIS   SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

Munich,  1873. 

My  Dear  Children  :  Yesterday  and  the  day  before  we  were  travel- 
ling on  the  banks  of  two  of  the  most  famous  rivers  in  Germany — the 
Rhine  and  the  Neckar.  We  were  kept  busy  running  from  one  side  of  the 
railroad-car  to  the  other  looking  at  the  castles  perched  on  the  hills  and 
cliffs  on  either  bank.  Every  one  has  its  own  strange  story,  and  they  all 
remind  me  of  one  line  in  the  Bible  :  "Their  works  do  follow  them."  It  is 
in  the  last  book.     See  if  you  can  find  it. 

I  thought  I  would  tell  you  a  little  about  the  most  famous  and  most 
beautiful  of  these  castles.  That  you  may  better  remember  it,  I  send  you 
two  things :  first,  a  leaf  picked  off  the  walls,  and  next,  the  picture  which 
stands  at  the  beginning  of  this  letter.  You  see  the  castle  is  built  on  the 
side  of  a  high  hill,  called  the  "  Konigstuhl,"  or  King's  Throne.  Below  it 
lies  the  city,  which  has  the  same  name  as  the  castle — Heidelberg.  It  is  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  beautiful  Neckar,  and  on  the  other  side  is  anothcr 
high  hill  called  the  "  Holy  Mountain,"  because  many  years  ago  a  good 
man  lived  there  in  a  cave. 

A  hundred  years  before  America  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  a  man 
named  Rudolph  began  this  castle.  He  lived  first  in  a  strong  place  on  the 
Rhine,  but  I  suppose  he  thought  this  place  more  beautiful  and  just  as 
strong,  so  he  came  here  and  built  the  first  part  of  this  palace-castle.  He 
was  a  count,  very  rich  and  brave  and  selfish,  I  should  think.  I  say  selfish, 
for  his  castle  shows  that  he  was  very  much  afraid  somebody  would  rob  him. 
Having  robbed  other  men,  he  was  afraid  of  them,  and  therefore  built  his 
stronghold  on  the  side  of  this  steep  hill.  I  do  not  think  you  could  climb 
up  the  path  at  all,  for  I  saw  strong  men  sit  down  and  rest  before  they  got 
even  to  the  foot  of  the  castle  wall.  Then,  too,  he  made  it  of  stone,  very 
strong  and  thick.  One  tower,  which  he  thought  the  strongest,  has  walls 
over  twenty  feet  thick,  that  is,  thicker  than  our  house  is  wide.  He  cut 
narrow  windows,  called  loopholes,  through  these  thick  walls  on  every 
side,  so  that  he  could  put  his  guns  out  and  shoot  anybody  that  tried  to  get 
at  him.  Having  dug  a  deep  ditch  all  around  his  castle,  he  filled  it  with 
water,  and  over  this  ditch  there  was  one  narrow  bridge,  the  only  way  by 
which  anybody  could  get  to  the  gate  of  the  castle.  This  bridge  was  pulled 
up  every  night.  The  gate  was  made  of  strong  timber  covered  with  iron. 
It  could  be  lifted,  and  its  sharp  teeth  would  come  down  in  a  minute  if  the 
soldiers  wished  to  crush  any  one  passing  under  it. 


TRAVELS  IN  THE  EAST  t;q 

Rudolph  and  his  descendants  lived  here  for  more  than  four  hundred 
years,  and  the  people  who  gathered  around  these  counts  lived  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  and  went  out  with  them  to  fight  against  their  enemies,  and  ex- 
pected them  to  protect  their  homes.  But  do  you  suppose  they  always  did 
it  ?  No ;  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  poor  Heidelberg  has  been  plundered  three 
times,  cannonaded  five  times,  and  twice  burned  up.  If  you  examine  the 
picture  closely,  you  will  see  the  castle  is  in  ruin.  More  than  one  hundred 
years  ago  they  had  to  give  it  up.  Strong  as  it  was,  the  French  took  it. 
Perhaps  the  count  and  his  family  escaped  by  a  secret  passage  which  leads 
down  a  long  flight  of  stairs,  runs  under  the  city,  under  the  river  itself,  and 
comes  out  more  than  a  mile  away  from  the  castle.  The  French  put  pow- 
der under  that  strong  tower  of  which  I  spoke,  and  it  split  into  two  great 
pieces.  One  remained  where  it  was,  the  other  slipped  down  into  the  ditch, 
and  lies  there  to-day. 

So  you  see  these  ruins  tell  two  stories :  first,  they  say  how  cruel  and 
selfish  these  men  must  have  been  to  need  such  castles  to  defend  them ; 
and  second,  how  cruel  and  mean  their  enemies  must  have  been  to  have 
burned  and  ruined  the  beautiful  building  and  city  it  took  so  many  hundred 
years  to  finish. 

There  is  another  part  of  the  castle  which  tells  a  different  story.  It  is 
a  wing  built  of  cut  stone  by  one  of  these  counts  for  the  home  of  his  wife, 
whom  he  dearly  loved.  Behind  it  was  her  garden  full  of  fine  trees  and 
flowers.  Wishing  to  surprise  her,  he  had  a  very  beautiful  gate  made  of 
costly  stones  and  finely  carved.  The  stones  were  made  ready,  and  one 
night  the  workmen  came  and  put  it  all  up  in  a  few  hours.  In  the  morn- 
ing the  princess  went  out  into  her  garden  and  was  amazed  to  see  the  gate. 
Coming  nearer,  she  saw  some  words  on  it  which  said  it  was  a  present  from 
her  husband  to  his  dear  wife.  That  was  three  hundred  years  ago,  but 
there  it  stands  to-day,  and  is  called  "  Elizabeth's  Gate,"  sometimes,  "  Beau- 
tiful Gate." 

Children,  your  works  will  follow  you.  God  help  you  to  build  in  love, 
not  in  hate.  Then  before  all  the  world  he  will  put  a  crown  on  your  head, 
and  say,  "  Well  done."     My  paper  is  filled,  and  I  say  Good-by. 

From  your  affectionate  Pastor. 


i5o  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW. 

It  will  readily  be  seen,  from  what  has  been  said  in 
previous  chapters,  that  the  attachment  of  Mr.  Payson's 
flock  to  the  old  chapel  must  have  been  very  great.  That 
rough  room,  which,  with  its  uncarpeted  floor  and  un- 
cushioned  benches  and  ugly  wooden  posts,  appeared  so 
little  like  a  church,  was  nevertheless  the  spiritual  birth- 
place and  home  of  many  a  weary  soul,  who  there  found 
comfort  and  rest  and  joy  such  as  no  other  spot  on  earth 
could  give.  To  more  than  one  member  of  the  mission 
congregation  that  bare  and  desolate-looking  room  had 
become  indeed  a  Bethel,  where  the  very  words  and  expe- 
rience of  the  patriarch  were  repeated  in  their  hearts. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  no  ordinary  emotions  of  regret, 
after  all  the  preparations  had  been  made,  that  they  turned 
to  leave  the  old  chapel  at  last.  When  the  final  hour  of 
worship  had  arrived,  and  the-  new,  large  edifice  on  Thir- 
tieth street,  with  its  spacious  and  quiet  auditorium  and 
beautiful  Sunday-school  rooms,  stood  ready  to  receive 
them,  the  pastor  preached  a  sermon*  to  his  people  in 
which  he  endeavored  to  give  some  expression  to  the  min- 
gled feelings  of  joy  and  sorrow  with  which  they  stood 
upon  the  threshold  of  the  old.  His  text  was  chosen  in 
Ezra  3: 12,  13  :  "'But  many  of  the  priests  and  Levites 

*  Sabbath  evening,  March  21,  1875. 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  161 

and  chief  of  the  fathers,  who  were  ancient  men,  that  had 
seen  the  first  house,  when  the  foundation  of  this  house 
was  laid  before  their  eyes,  wept  with  a  loud  voice ;  and 
many  shouted  aloud  for  joy;  so  that  the  people  could  not 
discern  the  noise  of  the  shout  of  joy  from  the  noise  of  the 
weeping  of  the  people  ;  for  the  people  shouted  with  a 
loud  shout,  and  the  noise  was  heard  afar  off.' 

"  How  thoughts  and  emotions  wrought  tumultuously 
in  human  hearts  twenty-four  hundred  years  ago  in  Jeru- 
salem !  A  remnant  of  Israel's  millions  had  returned 
from  Babylon.  Among  the  ruins  of  the  sacred  city  the 
foundations  of  the  new  temple  had  been  laid,  and  the 
people  gathered  to  place  the  cornerstone.  Young  and 
old  were  there.  Men  who,  between  fifty  and  sixty  years 
ago,  had  gone  up  to  the  temple  of  Solomon,  and  had 
looked  upon  that  glorious  building,  which  was  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  world,  stood  among  them.  Is  it  strange 
that  they  wept  as  they  contrasted  the  present  weakness 
with  the  past  glory,  or  that  profound  emotions  stirred 
their  souls  as  they  recalled  all  of  loss  and  trial  they  had 
passed  through  since  last  they  looked  upon  that  temple, 
going  out  in  flames,  and  dying  a  ruin  at  their  feet  ? 

"These  wept,  and  others  sang  and  rejoiced.  Those 
who  had  often  heard  of  the  past  in  the  land  of  tears, 
rejoiced  that  once  more  the  Lord  had  'done  great 
things  for  them.'  The  same  God  who  had  brought 
Israel  out  of  Egypt  with  a  mighty  hand,  had  come  and 
brought  them  out  of  Assyria ;  and  more  than  this,  he 
had  touched  the  heart  of  Cyrus,  so  that  he  helped  Israel 
with  army  and  treasure,  while  Pharaoh,  when  he  held 


1 62  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

them  captive,  did  all  he  could  to  prevent  their  exodus. 
Throughout  this  exile  they  had  had  neither  temple  nor 
tabernacle — a  thing  Israel  had  not  known  before  for  a 
thousand  years  ;  but  now  they  were  to  have  their  own 
temple  again,  and  they  shouted  and  sang.*  .  .  . 

"  As  we  glance  at  the  past,  the  best  thoughts,  it  seems 
to  me,  are  those  which  recall  the  good  hand  of  our  God 
upon  us  in  all  these  years  of  our  grow th — material,  in- 
tellectual, and  spiritual. 

"(i.)  Let  us  look  first  at  the  material  growth  of  our 
church.  What  hath  not  God  wrought  in  this  direction  ! 
Twenty  years  ago,  a  lady,  one  Sabbath  afternoon,  saw 
idle  boys  and  girls  in  the  street,  and  called  them  into  the 
basement  of  her  house.  The  little  Sunday-school  there 
begun  was  soon  moved  into  a  room  on  Thirty-fourth  street. 
In  the  fall  that  school  divided,  one  part  locating  on  the 
west  side,  the  other  on  the  east.  The  eastern  school  had 
in  it  the  germs  of  this  work. 

"The  first  Sunday-school  services  were  held  in  a  rough, 
uncomfortable  room  in  Twenty-ninth  street.  Then  the 
school  removed  in  a  few  months  to  the  public  school 
building  in  Twenty-seventh  street,  where  it  remained 
until  its  own  building — this  chapel — was  completed,  Jan- 
uary 10,  1858. 

*  Both  the  sermons  in  this  chapter,  it  should  be  said,  are  fragmentary 
and  incomplete  even  in  the  manuscripts  ;  and  they  are  selected  for  publi- 
cation not  so  much  because  of  their  intrinsic  value  as  specimens  of  Mr. 
Payson's  oratory,  as  because  of  their  intimate  connection  with  the  history 
of  his  church.  Still  they  may  serve  in  a  measure  as  illustrations  of  his 
style,  if  only  it  is  borne  in  mind  that  they  are  at  best  but  outlines  or 
sketches.  It  will  be  remembered  (cf.  page  89)  that  he  always  spoke 
extemporaneously. 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  163 

"  In  two  years,  more  room  was  needed ;  the  wings  on 
each  side,  and  that  part  of  this  room  from  the  pillar 
eastward,  were  added  ;  and  the  same  kind  Hand  which 
helped  us  to  gain  so  many  blessings  then,  has  been  with 
us  all  these  fourteen  years  since.  Once  more  we  have 
had  to  lengthen  our  cords  and  strengthen  our  stakes. 
God  grant  that  it  may  not  be  the  last  time.  May  the 
success  of  the  past  only  stimulate  us  to  nobler  and  high- 
er endeavors  in  the  future. 

"Nor  should  we  overlook  the  growth  indicated  by  in- 
creased contributions.  Thirteen  years  ago  I  find  our 
contributions  were  less  than  one  hundred  dollars  for  all 
benevolent  work  in  this  church.  Now  they  have  risen 
to  nearly  four  thousand  as  the  regular  average  amount, 
and  this  year's  receipts  will  be  probably  over  $6,000. 
And  this,  dear  friends,  is  only  the  reflection  of  a  like  pros- 
perity which  through  this  very  work  has  come  to  many  a 
home  connected  with  us. 

"  (2.)  Intellectually  we  have  grown.  How  many  will 
look  back  to  this  place  as  the  school  where  their  minds 
were  disciplined.  By  lectures  and  sermons,  prayer-meet- 
ing and  Bible  class,  Sunday-school  and  library,  have  they 
been  led  to  grapple  with  the  grandest  truths  which  ever 
stir  the  minds  of  men,  the  truths  of  revelation.  [Sir 
Isaac  Newton's  testimony.]  .  .  .  Some,  in  preparing  to 
help  others,  have  helped  themselves  yet  more. . . .  Other 
some  will  recall  with  profound  emotion  the  noble  teach- 
ers who  for  almost  a  score  of  years,  in  and  out  of  season, 
have  labored  for  their  good.  .  .  . 

"  (3.)  Best  of  all  is  the  spiritual  growth  connected  with 


1 64  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

this  sacred  place.  What  revelations  of  God's  love  and 
grace  have  we  received  within  these  sacred  walls  !  Some 
will  say  in  the  Psalmist's  words, '  I  was  born  there.'  There 
my  life  really  began.  There  God  quickened  me,  who  was 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  There  he  wrought  the  great- 
est miracle  in  me,  the  miracle  of  redemption.  If  there 
is  a  peculiar  feeling  connected  with  one's  birthplace — if 
men  will  travel  thousands  of  miles  and  make  unnumbered 
sacrifices  to  die  where  they  were  born,  what  words  can 
fitly  describe  the  tender  emotions  that  will  move  many 
a  heart  as  they  turn  back  in  memory  to  the  place  where 
God  first  met  and  called  them  his,  and  how  will  they 
praise  and  magnify  his  name  for  those  great  gifts  which 
he  has  here  bestowed.  I  believe  that  even  in  heaven 
this  dear  old  chapel  will  be  remembered  with  reverence 
and  affection. 

"  Again,  others  will  recall  that  this  for  them  has  been 
a  place  of  spiritual  growth  and  culture.  Here  they  first 
began  to  pray,  to  work,  and  to  give.  And  as  they  look 
back  over  prayer-meeting,  Sabbath-school,  Bible  class, 
sermons,  and  communions,  blessed  to  them  in  this  very 
room,  they  will  say,  '  This  is  my  Bethel.  It  is  none  other 
than  the  house  of  God,  the  very  gate  of  heaven  !'  Others, 
too,  recall  to-night  with  peculiar  emotions  dear  friends 
who  here  plumed  their  wings  for  glory.  We  saw  them 
ripening  fast,  and  knew  not  that  it  was  because  the  King- 
would  soon  call  them  to  thrones  and  kingdoms  with  him 
for  ever.  Hallowed  are  these  memories.  But  joy  tri- 
umphs over  sorrow,  for  we  know  our  loss  is  to  them  eter- 
nal train.     Part  of  the  host  is  in  heaven.  .  .  . 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  165 

"  But  note  that  God  rebukes  the  sorrow  of  some  on 
this  very  occasion,  Hag.  2  : 4,  9  . . . '  Be  strong,  all  ye  peo- 
ple, saith  the  Lord,  and  work,  for  I  am  with  you,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts.  The  glory  of  this  latter  house  shall 
be  greater  than  of  the  former,  and  in  this  place  will  I 
give  peace,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.'  Do  not  limit  me. 
I  gave  to  you  the  ark,  the  tabernacle,  yea,  and  the  tem- 
ple ;  and  I  took  them  away  for  better  things.  You  would 
have  made  idols  of  them  as  of  Nehushtan  ;  I  would  lift 
you  to  a  higher  worship.  .  .  . 

"  So  in  due  time  '  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt 
among  us.'  And  it  is  said,  'Ye  are  the  temples  of  God, 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ;'  .  .  .  God  ever 
drawing  nearer,  until  he  enters  the  very  soul. 

"  Let  us,  then,  beware  of  limiting  our  God.  It  is  not 
these  stained  and  dingy  walls,  these  posts  dividing  our 
audience-room  in  twain,  nor  the  ungainly  and  cumbered 
entrance,  which  has  brought  the  blessing.  No  !  it  is 
only  because,  in  spite  of  these  obstacles,  God  has  been 
with  us.  Oh,  limit  him  not !  If  any  one  years  ago  had 
said,  '  Keep  the  school  in  the  basement,  or  had  forbidden 
us  to  add  this  library,  class-rooms,  and  German  chapel,' 
would  it  have  been  well  ?  So  let  no  one  weaken  the 
hands  of  his  brethren  by  saying,  '  It  had  been  better  to- 
day in  the  old  place.' 

"But,  none  the  less,  let  us  remember  that  God  only 
can  make  these  new  courts  glorious.  As  walls  and  seats 
here  have  not  the  blessing  in  themselves,  so  God  must 
be  with  us,  or  all  is  vain  and  lost. ...[...  David  and  ark — 
Uzziah — Uzzah]. 


1 66  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

"  Now  we  need  to  impress  upon  our  hearts  this  solemn 
lesson.  We  are  to  feel  that  no  building  is  of  itself  sacred. 
The  pulpit,  communion-table,  seats,  organ,  are  nothing 
in  themselves.  It  is  only  as  they  become  helps  to  spir- 
itual life  and  worship  that  they  can  prove  real  blessings 
to  our  souls.  Look  at  John  4:23,  24 :  '  But  the  hour 
cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  true  worshippers  shall  wor- 
ship the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth  ;  for  the  Father 
seeketh  such  to  worship  him.  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they 
that  worship  him  must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in 
truth.'  Through  faith  and  prayer  only  can  we  reach 
after  Christ  and  find  him.  '  My  house,'  says  Jesus, '  shall 
be  called  the  house  of  prayer.'  It  is  a  place  to  commune 
with  God.  .  .  . 

"...  Above  all  other  things,  let  us  remember  that 
love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  Therefore  may  all  hatred, 
envies,  jealousies,  evil  speaking,  be  left  behind  us.  May 
each,  in  the  spirit  of  love  and  holy  courtesy,  seek  not  his 
own,  but  his  neighbor's  good.  And  thus  may  we  show 
to  the  poor  and  stranger  those  divine  fruits  of  Christian 
charity  that  have  made  this  old  chapel  beautiful  to  many 
a  weary  heart.  .  .  . 

"  By  faith,  dear  friends,  we  can  reach  our  hands  to 
Christ.  By  prayer,  through  Christ,  we  can  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  he  shall  be  to  each  of  us,  wherever  we 
may  be,  the  Comforter  and  Guide  to  everlasting  life.  .  .  . 

"In  my  journey  through  Palestine,  we  paused  on 
the  heights  of  Samaria.  A  glorious  view  opened  before 
us.  Below  and  to  the  south  lay  the  beautiful  plain  of 
El-Mukhna,  suggesting  in    its   loveliness    the   precious 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  167 

memory  of  sacred  places  left  behind — Jerusalem,  Beth- 
any, Gethsemane.  Before  us  lay  the  path  to  Nazareth 
and  Galilee,  and  other  spots  endeared  to  every  Christian 
heart  by  words  and  miracles  of  Christ ;  while  far  be- 
yond, to  the  eye  of  faith,  appeared  the  borders  of  another 
land.  Should  we  then  linger  there  ?  We  might  well 
rejoice  to  remain  among  such  scenes  for  ever;  but  to 
the  north  lay  our  homeward  way.  Duty,  honor,  work 
called  us  to  go  forward. 

"  So  here  we  stand  to-night.  God  calls  us  to  a  new 
place  and  a  new  work  for  him.  Hearing  this  word,  let 
us  go  forward,  believing  that  he  is  able  to  make  the  way 
plain  to  better  things  on  earth  and  the  glories  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  hereafter." 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  Chapel  Committee,  read, 
April  21,  1875,  by  Mr.  David  Wetmore,  chairman,  be- 
fore a  public  meeting  of  the  Madison  Square  Church, 
contains  the  following  reference  to  the  Memorial 
Chapel  : 

"  It  is  doubtless  known  to  all  present  that  this  church 
decided  to  appropriate  their  Memorial  Contributions  to 
the  erection  of  a  new  edifice  for  the  better  accommoda- 
tion of  those  worshipping  at  the  chapel,  feeling  that,  with 
enlarged  and  more  comfortable  quarters  both  for  Sunday- 
school  and  church  services,  the  numbers  and  efficiency 
of  the  organization  would  be  increased  and  the  cause  of 
the  Master  promoted.  It  will  also  be  remembered  that 
at  the  date  of  the  last  Annual  Report  the  Chapel  Com- 
mittee announced  that  the  land  had  been  contracted  fo^ 


1 68  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

in  four  lots  on  the  north  side  of  Thirtieth  street,  ioo  feet 
east  of  Third  avenue ;  size,  ioo  feet  front  by  98  feet  9 
inches  deep.  The  lots  were  delivered  in  June,  and  work 
commenced  soon  after.  The  cornerstone  was  laid  on 
September  14  by  our  pastor  the  Rev.  William  Adams, 
and  the  chapel  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  Mas- 
ter on  Easter  Sunday,  March  28. 

"  It  will  not  of  course  be  expected  that  we  in  this 
Report  to  you  should  describe  the  edifice,  as  it  has  spo- 
ken for  itself  to  most  of  you,  and  certainly  should  to  all. 
Its  praise  already  is  in  most  of  the  churches.  We  must, 
however,  be  permitted  to  mingle  our  congratulations  with 
yours,  sir,  and  our  fellow-members',  that  we  have  been 
permitted,  in  the  good  providence  of  God,  to  add  another 
temple  to  his  praise,  to  open  another  sanctuary  in  his 
name,  whose  word  of  invitation  is,  '  Whosoever  will,  let 
him  come.' 

"The  old  chapel — also  memorial — will  soon  pass  from 
our  possession.  Can  we  take  leave  of  it  without  the 
liveliest  emotions  of  gratitude  to  Him  who  hath  led  us 
there  in  all  these  years.  He  has  been  there  in  the  midst, 
and  that  to  bless.  There  men  have  been  born  again,  and 
little  children  have  sat  at  His  feet.  Its  walls  have  echoed 
the  song  of  praise,  and  notes  of  joy  have  been  carried  up 
to  the  temple  not  made  with  hands.  To  it  the  Lord  has 
looked,  and  from  it  the  heart-whisper  has  gone  to  his 
open  ear.  A  little  while  some  were  with  us  there,  and 
again  a  little  while  and  they  were  not,  for  they  had  fol- 
lowed Him  who  went  to  prepare  a  place  for  them.  Rich, 
full,  and  hallowed  are  the  memories  that  cling  to  the  old 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  169 

chapel.     Richer,  fuller,  and  more  sacred  may  those  be 
that  shall  cluster  around  the  new." 

The  following  description  of  the  new  church  is  kindly 
furnished  us  by  the  architect,  Mr.  J.  C.  Cady  of  this  city. 

This  building  is  designed  to  meet  the  wants  of  a  large  and  growing 
congregation  for  church  and  other  services,  to  accommodate  (separately 
from  the  church  auditorium)  one  of  the  largest  Sabbath-schools  in  the 
city,  and  to  provide  for  the  independent  services  of  a  German  congrega- 
tion, as  well  as  the  various  organizations  connected  with  the  general  work. 
It  has  been  the  purpose  of  its  architect  not  only  to  meet  these  varied 
wants,  but  to  infuse  into  the  whole  an  artistic  spirit  appropriate  to  the 
peculiarities  and  arrangement  of  the  building.  He  has  designed  the  de- 
tails involving  ornamental  effect  with  especial  reference  to  this — the 
stained  glass  windows,  the  organ,  the  furniture,  and  appointments  gener- 
ally. The  building  covers  a  plot  of  100x100.  The  front,  to  a  depth  of 
about  forty  feet,  is  three  stories  in  height,  and  is  used  for  Sabbath-school 
and  kindred  purposes.  On  the  first  floor  the  infant-classes  have  three 
large  rooms,  which  may  be  connected  or  otherwise  by  sliding  doors,  and 
which  can,  if  desired,  be  connected  with  the  auditorium. 

On  the  second  floor  and  over  the  infant-rooms  is  the  main  Sunday- 
school  hall,  accommodating  several  hundred  children,  also  the  Library 
and  superintendent's  rooms.  Over  this  story  is  one  devoted  to  Bible- 
classes,  having  some  fourteen  rocms,  each  adapted  to  from  twenty  to 
thirty  persons.  A  large  class  of  young  men  have  with  great  interest 
raised  funds  by  which  their  apartment  has  been  quite  elaborately  and 
beautifully  furnished. 

The  various  stories  described  face  the  south,  having  an  abundance  of 
light  (and  sunshine  if  desiped).  In  the  rear  of  these,  covering  about 
6Sxioo  feet,  is  the  church  auditorium,  seating  about  eleven  hundred  per- 
sons. It  is  approached  by  broad,  well-lighted  halls  at  either  end  of  the 
facade,  as  well  as  a  spacious  central  entrance.  This  room  is  in  form  an 
elongated  octagon,  and  gets  light  from  seven  of  the  eight  sides,  transmit- 
ted through  large  traceried  windows  that  are  placed  quite  a  height  from 
the  floor,  giving  much  dignity  and  loftiness  of  effect.  The  lighting  of  the 
room  is  further  increased  by  a  large  panelled  ceiling  light,  which  will  also 
throw  the  organ  into  bright  relief  when  its  decorated  pipes  shall  have 
been  tdded. 

The  seating  is  based  upon  a  polygonal  figure,  and  brings  all  the  audi- 
tors easily  within  the  influence  of  the  speaker,  and  with  cosey  and  social 
effect.     The  pulpit  is  placed  at  the  centre  of  the  rear  wall. 

The  organ  is  bracketed  out  from  this  wall  above  the  pulpit,  and  is 
15 


170  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

designed,  by  means  of  its  richly-decorated  pipes,  to  be  the  focal  point  of 
the  room. 

The  roof  is  of  the  "open  timber"  variety,  the  spandrels  of  the  large 
trusses  being  filled  with  ornamental  work.  The  iron  work  is  exposed  to 
view  and  emphasized  bv  decoration. 

On  the  east  side  the  series  of  large  traceried  windows  is  discontinued, 
(a  necessity  owing  to  the  position  of  an  adjoining  building,)  and  there  is 
an  arcade  of  seven  smaller  windows. 

A  lofty  clock,  rising  from  the  auditorium  belt-course  to  the  central 
window,  will,  when  in  its  place,  complete  the  grouping. 

Two  large  light-wells,  (one  on  either  side  of  the  building,)  built  of 
masonry,  do  the  further  service  of  receiving  the  smoke-flues,  the  venti- 
lating and  the  rain-water  pipes;  so  in  case  of  damage  to  either,  it  would 
be  limited  to  the  masonry  well.  The  ventilating-flues  are  built  around  the 
smoke-flues  and  heated  by  them,  gaining  a  strong  draft  which  draws  off 
the  foul  air  of  the  building.  It  is  believed  that  thus  grouping  together 
these  important,  but  sometimes  troublesome  and  dangerous  adjuncts  of  a 
building,  will  prove  an  advantage  both  as  regards  efficiency  and  safety. 

The  style  of  the  building  is  the  early  French  Gothic. 

The  facade  on  Thirtieth  street  is  built  of  Philadelphia  pressed  brick, 
with  trimmings  of  Nova  Scotia  stone  and  buff  brick.  A  tower,  with  bel- 
fry, stage,  and  spire,  terminates  each  end  of  the  facade,  while  a  large 
gable  with  a  rose-window  rises  over  the  central  portion.  The  many  rooms 
of  the  front  portion,  all  requiring  plentiful  light,  have  rendered  necessary 
a  large  number  of  windows.  These  have  been  grouped  and  emphasized 
with  reference  to  the  general  effect. 

The  building  and  furniture  have  cost  about  $60,000. 

Upon  entering  the  new  chapel,  Easter  Sunday,  March 
28,  1875,  Mr.  Payson  delivered  a  discourse,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  rough  outline.  The  notes  of  this  sermon 
were  fragmentary,  and  this  attempt  at  reproduction  is  in 
consequence  very  imperfect,  but  it  may  serve  the  pur- 
pose of  indicating  in  a  rude  way  his  line  of  thought. 

" '  THESE  STONES  SHALL  BE  FOR  A  MEMORIAL: 

JOSH.  4:  7. 

" '  Can  we  ever  forget  ?'  some  might  have  asked,  as 
they  stepped  dry-shod  out  of  the  bed  of  the  Jordan.     To 


Memorial  Chapel  of  the  Madison   Square  Church. 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  171 

many  an  Israelite  a  memorial  may  have  seemed  unneces- 
sary. 'This  wonderful  experience,  this  parting  of  the 
spring-floods  of  Jordan,  this  passing  with  ease  where  our 
enemies  believed  that  we  could  not  pass  at  all — can  these 
ever  fade  from  memory  ?'     Perhaps  not 

"  But  man  '  cometh  forth  like  a  flower,  and  is  cut 
down  ;  he  fleeth  also  as  a  shadow,  and  continueth  not.' 
This  generation  and  the  next  passed  away,  what  will 
have  become  of  this  story  ?  Gone,  gone  for  ever,  or  else 
mingled  with  the  myths  of  the  past  in  a  confusion  worse 
than  oblivion  itself.  Why !  Men  to-day  doubt  the  ex- 
istence of  Troy  and  Homer !  .  .  .  .  Hence  a  memorial 
was  needful,  and  for  two  reasons :  (1)  to  stimulate  in- 
quiry, and  (2)  to  strengthen  memory ;  so  that  (ver.  24) 
'  all  the  people  of  the  earth  might  know  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  that  it  is  mighty,  that  ye  might  fear  the  Lord  your 
God  for  ever.' 

"  God  has  surrounded  us  with  memorials.  The  rain- 
bow, the  passover,  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  the  Sabbath — 
all  these  are  memorials ;  and  God  has  thus  endorsed  that 
feeling,  which  is  almost  instinctive  in  human  hearts,  to 

rear  some  monuments  of  special  grace So  then 

we  have  divine  encouragement  to  make  this  building 
serve  a  double  purpose :  that  while  we  gather  here  to 
learn  new  lessons  of  his  love,  we  may  at  the  same  time 
be  reminded  of  the  past  and  all  the  favors  and  the  bless- 
ings it  has  brought. 

"  In  the  providence  of  God  this  building  serves  as  a 
triple  memorial ;  and  the  very  day  when  we  are  permit- 
ted to  present  this  gift  to  him  is  the  chief  of  all  the  days 


172  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

of  the  year,  for  not  only  is  it  a  Sabbath,  but  the  Sabbath 
of  Sabbaths.  Is  it  not  Easter  Sunday?  and  are  we  not 
permitted  to  feel  that  this  is  one  of  the  best-established 
of  all  the  memorial  days  ?  Before,  the  Sabbath  marked 
the  Creation ;  from  that  first  Easter  it  marks  a  greater 
and  more  precious  event,  namely  :  the  victory  of  Christ 
over  death  and  the  grave,  and  through  him  the  victory 
of  all  whom  he  represents — the  army  of  the  redeemed  in 
every  age  and  clime. 

"  And  this  anniversary  of  religious  liberty  is  a  fitting 
time  to  recall  that,  one  hundred  years  ago,  our  fathers 
began  their  great  struggle  for  freedom.  Often,  in  the 
course  of  the  next  fifteen  months,  I  shall  have  occasion 
to  refer  to  this.  Now  I  will  only  remind  you  that,  but 
for  God's  great  goodness,  we  should  to-day  have  no  city, 
state,  or  general  government.  Who  that  was  a  partici- 
pant in  the  last  war,  who  that  saw  the  mob  surging  along 
our  streets  a  few  years  since,  does  not  thank  God  that 
we  have  a  church  in  which  to  worship  ? 

"  There  are,  however,  apart  from  these  general  consid- 
erations, two  objects  for  which  this  new  building  must 
ever  serve  as  a  special  memorial.  The  first  is  the  reunion 
of  the  Old  and  New  School  Presbyterian  Churches ;  the 
second,  the  united  efforts  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Mad- 
ison Square  Church  for  sixteen  long  years,  which  have 
finally  culminated  in  the  erection  of  this  new  edifice. 

"  I.  The  Reunion.  Surely,  we  ought  to  recall,  with 
profound  gratitude,  the  reunion  of  the  divided  Presbyte- 
rian Church  of  America.     To  it,  under  God,  we  owe  the 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  173 

final  erection  of  this  building.  All  previous  efforts  had 
met  with  comparative  failure.  We  were  aground.  But 
that  grand  tidal  wave  of  benevolence  which  swept  over 
the  united  church  in  1871,  bore  us  on  to  success.  That 
this  aid  came  from  God,  is  apparent  from  the  reports  of 
the  Committee  who  had  the  Memorial  Fund  in  charge. 
Enthusiastically  had  the  General  Assembly  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  1870,  voted  as  a  thank-offering,  to  be  collected 
within  a  year,  a  fund  of  five  millions.  But  ten  and  a 
half  months  passed  away,  and  the  Committee  could  only 
report  part  of  one  million  contributed.  Then  it  was 
that  they  went  to  God,  and,  in  the  striking  language  of 
their  excellent  chairman,  gave  all  up  to  him,  feeling  that, 
if  such  was  his  will,  they  would  gladly  content  them- 
selves with  two  or  three  millions.  And  then  it  was  that 
God  appeared  in  power  and  seemed  to  move  the  churches 
as  by  a  common  impulse. 

"  How  many  here  to-day  remember  that  wonderful 
seven  weeks  when  we  raised  more  than  $4,000,  and  the 
parent  church  ten  times  that  sum.  You  will  recall  that 
the  whole  Presbyterian  Church  reported  not  five,  but 
eight  millions ;  and  with  the  two  which  the  Committee 
felt  were  given  to  other  objects  then  on  account  of  it — 
even  ten  millions.  Thus  under  God  we  have  reason  to 
trace  the  erection  of  this  church  to  the  influence  of  the 
reunion. 

"  But  this  was  only  one  out  of  many  deliverances  which 
He  wrought  at  that  time.  Think  what  a  work  that  re- 
union was.     In  the  Old  School  branch  there  were  some 

2,700    churches,  and    250,000    members;    in   the    New 

9 


i74  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

School  i, 800  churches,  and  170,000  members.  What  a 
body  to  harmonize !  For  more  than  thirty  years  they 
had  been  separated.  The  division  had  been  felt  not  only 
in  seminaries  and  in  all  educational  and  benevolent  in- 
stitutions, but  in  the  churches  themselves.  Often  in  the 
same  little  village  two  poor  organizations  would  struggle 
for  existence  till  their  life  seemed  a  living  death.  So 
bitter  was  the  feeling  and  so  great  the  obstacles  to  be 
overcome,  that  wise  men  on  the  Committee  said  that, 
while  they  were  willing  to  work  for  the  reunion,  they 
never  expected  to  see  its  consummation  during  their  life- 
time. Think  of  the  eight  long  years  required  to  accom- 
plish the  work,  and  we  realize  the  numberless  difficulties 
to  be  met. 

"  There  was  one  dark  hour  recorded  which  will  illus- 
trate our  obligations  to  Him  who  has  given  us  all.  The 
Committee  had  been  striving  for  several  days  to  arrive 
at  some  statement  which  should  harmonize  all  minds ; 
but  it  seemed  an  utter  impossibility.  They  separated 
for  three  or  four  hours  for  refreshment  and  rest,  feeling 
that  when  they  came  together  again  it  would  be  to  de- 
cide that  no  way  to  union  now  seemed  attainable.  Dr. 
Gurley  (who  died  soon  afterwards)  went  away  not  to 
rest,  but  to  fast  and  pray,  and  while  in  prayer  the  Gurley 
Amendment,  so  called,  came  to  him.  The  Committee 
met,  and  with  joyful  surprise  found  that  it  covered  the 
case.     So  again  we  were  saved. 

"  But  the  hand  of  our  God  is  seen  even  more  strikingly 
in  the  removal  of  American  slavery.  Dr.  Adams,  in  his 
interesting  article  on  the  reunion  remarks,  that  slavery, 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  175 

as  it  caused  the  war,  had  also  much  to  do  with  the  divis- 
ion of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  This  was  not  generally 
recognized  in  public  debate.  But  large  ships  are  turned 
about  by  that  plank  which  is  out  of  sight  beneath  the 
water.  The  entire  extinction  of  slavery  has  been  among 
the  many  causes  which  has  made  reunion  more  possible 
and  more  certain.  What  occasion  for  joy  have  we  then 
to-day,  as  we  feel  that  this  beautiful  building  becomes  a 
memorial  of  the  extinction  of  American  slavery,  the 
foulest  blot  that  ever  rested  on  the  fair  name  of  our  be- 
loved land.  May  the  lesson  of  those  long  years  of  suf- 
fering endured  by  the  negro,  and  of  the  fearful  four  years 
of  civil  war,  with  all  their  sacrifices  of  treasure  and  blood, 
never  pass  from  our  minds.  May  it  help  to  make  sin 
more  exceeding  hateful.  May  it  enable  us  to  realize 
that  the  putting  away  of  one  sin  will  lead  to  the  removal 
of  a  thousand  other  evils,  and  open  the  door  to  number- 
less blessings  which  perhaps  otherwise  we  never  could 
have  seen. 

"Asa  church  we  owe  profound  gratitude  to  God  for 
permitting  us  in  his  providence  to  occupy  so  honorable 
a  position  in  consummating  this  work.  Dr.  Adams  was 
very  unexpectedly  called  to  take  a  leading  position  as 
chairman  of  the  Reunion  Committee.  Here  his  wisdom 
and  rare  judgment  did  much  to  bring  about  the  best  re- 
sults. The  memorial  says  that  his  speeches  at  New 
York  and  Pittsburg  contributed  most  powerfully  to  the 
conviction  which  seemed  finally  to  become  unanimous, 
that  reunion  was  safe  and  right  and  most  glorifying  to 
God.     So  distinguished  were  his  services  that  some  have 


176  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

felt  that  we  might  depart  from  the  usual  custom,  and 
rear  this  memorial  to  his  honor,  even  while  he  is  still 
with  us.  But  we  know  that  this  would  not  be  his  desire, 
and  that  he  would  rather  say  in  the  words  of  the  Psalm- 
ist, '  Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but  unto  thy 
name  give  glory,  for  thy  mercy  and  for  thy  truth's  sake.' 
How  fitting  however  it  was  that  the  church  which 
through  God's  providence  has  been  so  signally  honored, 
should  bring  the  largest  memorial  offering  and  lay  it 
down  at  Jesus'  feet.  Of  the  four  thousand  churches  of 
our  body,  the  Madison  Square  contributed  the  greatest 
amount,  obtaining  over  $182,000,  (one  hundred  and 
eighty-two  thousand  dollars).  ... 

"  May  this  building  then  remind  us  of  God's  goodness 
in  securing  (1)  the  Reunion,  (2)  the  Extinction  of  Sla- 
very, and  (3)  that  Generosity  which  resulted  in  so  many 
blessed  fruits  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

"II.  In  the  second  place  these  stones  are  a  memorial 
of  the  itnited  efforts  put  forth  by  the  two  branches  of  our 
own  church  towards  securing  the  erection  of  this  edifice. 

"We  are  reminded  first  of  all  of  an  eventful  evening 
in  October,  1867.  During  the  previous  week  I  had  at- 
tended a  meeting  of  the  American  Board,  and  my  heart 
had  been  stirred  by  the  loving  sacrifices  of  the  converts 
from  heathenism — especially  the  work  done  by  the  poor 
churches  connected  with  the  Harpoot  Mission,  which 
led  me  to  inquire  if  I  was  encouraging  my  people  to  do 
all  that  they  could.  If  those,  whose  means  were  as  noth- 
ing compared  with  ours,  could  do  so  much,  should  not  we 
be  ashamed  to  do  so  little  ?     That  night  I  told  you  the 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  177 

story  of  what  I  had  seen  and  heard  as.  best  I  could. 
You  were  greatly  interested.  But  when  I  asked  if  you 
were  ready  to  practically  apply  the  lesson,  if  each  one 
would  undertake  the  next  three  years  to  do  your  best  to 
raise  $10,000  towards  a  new  building,  you  were  some- 
what staggered,  and  I  do  not  wonder.  This  was  over 
$3,000  a  year,  and  we  had  never  raised  more  than  one- 
half  that  sum  in  the  same  length  of  time. 

"  But  each  one  was  asked  to  give  only  as  the  Lord 
blessed,  and  to  give  not  for  your  pastor's  sake,  but  to 
God  himself,  and  for  Christ's  glory.  Then  we  united  in 
silent  prayer.  Then  came  the  moment  on  which  the 
existence  of  this  building  under  God  depended.  I  shall 
never  forget  that  moment.  Would  you  assume  this  bur- 
den, or  not  ?  Nor  shall  I  ever  forget  that  rising  vote. 
No  man  waited  for  his  neighbor,  no  man  looked  right  or 
left ;  but,  as  if  moved  by  one  spirit,  every  member  of  our 
church,  I  think,  and  almost  every  member  of  the  congre- 
gation arose.  It  was  a  glorious  moment  in  our  history, 
and  these  stones  are  its  memorial  here.  What  memorial 
God  hath  made  of  it  above,  eternity  will  reveal. 

"  In  the  first  year  you  raised  the  sum  called  for,  and 
I  doubt  not  the  third  year  would  have  seen  the  amount 
required,  had  it  not  become  evident  that  the  new  church 
would  not  then  be  built.  At  the  end  of  three  years, 
however,  we  had  $6,000  in  bank. 

"  The  following  spring  witnessed  our  extraordinary 
efforts  to  secure  the  Memorial  Fund.  Then  you  were 
asked  to  raised  $4,000  in  seven  weeks.  Could  you  pos- 
sibly do  it  ?  .  .  .  .     Some  gave  fifty  cents,  some  two  dol- 


178  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

lars,  some  five,  twenty-five,  fifty,  one  hundred,  two  hun- 
dren,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  even  ;  and  at  the  end 
of  the  time  allotted  more  than  $3,000  were  paid  in,  and 
a  conditional  offer  made  the  sum  more  than  $4,000.  Ah  ! 
those  were  days  of  prayer  and  sacrifice !  Who  of  us 
that  had  a  share  in  that  work  will  ever  forget  what  zeal, 
enthusiasm,  and  devotion  to  the  Lord,  characterized  it 
from  the  first.  Some  gave  their  souvenirs  of  better 
days.  Some  sold  their  jewelry  and  keepsakes.  Some 
promised  money,  and  knew  not  where  the  work  was  to 
be  found  by  which  it  could  be  secured.  They  prayed 
for  work,  and  it  came  ;  and  their  pledges  given  in  faith 
were  redeemed.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  out  of 
hundreds  of  subscriptions,  only  between  twenty  or  thirty 
remained  unpaid  at  the  end  of  seven  weeks. 

"That  $10,000  put  at  interest,  became  $12,000;  and 
these  stones  are  for  a  memorial.  They  show  what  this 
church,  through  God's  blessing,  has  done  in  the  past, 
and  what  therefore  we  have  reason  to  believe  we  can  do 
in  the  future. 

"  These  stones  too  are  a  beautiful  memorial  of  the 
generous  spirit  which  has  ever  ruled  among  our  brethren 
at  the  Madison  Square  Church  toward  those  who  meet 
at  Third  avenue.  From  the  beginning,  twenty  years 
ago,  they  have  shown  the  most  liberal  spirit  toward  this 
work.  But  when  we  came  to  the  memorial  collection 
for  the  erection  of  this  building,  an  event  occurred  which 
is  not  to  be  forgotten  to-day.  Instead  of  giving  by  col- 
lection or  subscription  as  is  their  custom,  they  made  it 
a  Freewill   Offering.     In  accordance  with   the  sugges- 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  179 

tion  of  their  pastor,  each  donor  sent  an  envelope  con- 
taining his  contribution.  ...  It  was  snowing  as  he 
make  the  request ;  and  with  his  wonted  felicity  of  lan- 
guage, Dr.  Adams  suggested  that  their  offerings  should 
come  into  his  house  even  as  the  snowflakes  were  then 
falling  upon  the  earth.  Thence  came  the  name  of 
'  Snowflake  Offering,'  which  was  given  to  that  noble  gift 
of  $40,000. 

"  It  is  one  of  my  greatest  joys  connected  with  this 
building  to  recall  that  it  is  built  entirely  of  freewill  offer- 
ings. There  never  has  been  a  collection  or  subscription 
in  either  church  for  this  purpose.  And  when  I  remem- 
ber how  God  loves  these  freewill  offerings,  and  rejoices 
in  a  cheerful  giver,  and  what  promises  he  has  associated 
with  them  in  his  word,  I  can  but  hope  for  unwonted 
blessings  to  connect  themselves  with  this  House  of 
Praise.  There  was  another  feature  of  this  '  Snowflake 
Offering'  which  was  especially  pleasing.  In  looking 
over  the  record  we  find  the  children  associated  with  the 
parents  in  this  work,  and  even  the  very  youngest  of  the 
family  have  participated  in  the  gift.  May  we  not  hope 
that  this  may  prove  a  beautiful  augury  that  the  children 
will  retain  the  same  loving  interest  in  this  work  in  the 
future  which  their  parents  have  shown  in  the  past  and 
in  the  present.  .  .  . 

"  But  it  is  not  these  stones  alone  which  are  a  memo- 
rial. I  am  surrounded  to-day  with  other  offerings,  each  of 
which  is  fragrant  with  pleasant  memories.  Permit  me  to 
speak  of  two  or  three.  Here  is  a  small  Bible  ;  and  yet 
to  me  it  is  most  precious.     S  ven  years  ago  next  month 


iSo  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

an  aged  mother  in  our  church  lay  dying.  She  was  poor 
in  this  world's  goods  but  full  of  faith  and  love.  .  .  .  She 
bade  her  son  take  a  little  roll  out  of  her  trunk.  It  con- 
tained four  silver  half  dollars — his  Christmas  present  to 
her.  .  .  '  Give  this  to  the  new  church,'  she  said,  '  when  I 
am  gone.'  Seven  years  have  I  kept  that  money  sacred. 
Last  week  those  silver  half-dollars  were  exchanged  for 
this  book.  Thus,  though  dead,  she  yet  speaketh  through 
the  best  of  books  for  her  Lord  and  Saviour  on  earth, 
whom  she  is  loving  and  adoring  in  heaven. 

"  This  platform  and  all  the  furnishing  of  this  pulpit 
remind  us  of  the  efforts  of  our  Bible-class.  Ten  months 
ago  they  began  their  good  work,  and,  by  many  a  sacrifice, 
have  been  enabled,  not  only  to  provide  these  things,  but 
to  make  their  own  room  so  inviting,  that  almost  every 
visitor  seeks  it  out,  though  it  is  on  the  upper  floor  of  this 
building.  I  allude  to  this  with  the  more  pleasure,  be- 
cause this  effort  has  brought  with  it  so  many  other  bless- 
ings. It  has  made  these  young  men  to  know  and  love 
each  other.  A  year  ago  they  scarcely  knew  each  others' 
names.  It  has  told  them  how  much  forty  young  men 
can  do,  when  there  is  united  purpose.  Shall  we  not  all 
pray  that  the  lesson  they  have  now  learned  of  the  bless- 
ings of  giving  may  be  sanctified  to  them  in  all  the  future  ? 
May  this  church  and  the  cause  of  Christ  throughout  the 
world  long  be  blessed  through  the  gifts  and  efforts  of 
those  young  men,  who  in  a  single  year  have  secured 
probably  not  less  than  seven  hundred  dollars.  May  their 
example  stimulate  others  to  nobler  deeds  and  loftier 
purposes. 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW.  iSi 

"  In  a  few  days  we  expect  to  see  a  beautiful  clock 
placed  in  this  room  to  be  called  'The  Children's  Clock,' 
since  largely  through  their  efforts  it  has  been  secured  for 
the  church 

"  But  I  must  not  forget  one  other  memorial  to-day — 
those  cushions,  which  add  so  much  to  the  cheerfulness 
and  comfort  of  the  room.  They  are  the  results  of  one  of 
the  most  pleasant  works  ever  undertaken  in  this  church — 
our  Fair  of  last  December.  Many  of  you  like  myself 
were  opposed  to  fairs  ;  but  we  found  that  it  was  possible 
to  conduct  even  a  fair  upon  Christian  principles.  How 
many  with  busy  hands  were  at  work  all  summer  through  ? 
Young  and  old,  weak  and  strong,  alike  labored,  and 
many,  if  not  all,  as  they  labored  prayed.  How  much 
enthusiasm,  what  zeal  and  brotherly  love  were  stimulated 
by  it.  How  many  pleasant  acquaintances  were  made : 
how  much  of  kindly  feeling  on  the  part  of  our  neighbors 
found  expression.  A  divine  benediction  seemed  to  rest 
upon  it,  and  the  results — eighteen  hundred  dollars — have 
been  a  wonder  to  us  all.  It  only  shows  how  much  can 
be  accomplished  in  any  congregation  when  each  one 
willingly  does  a  part,  no  matter  how  little.  .  .  .  The 
building  and  furniture  have  cost  not  far  from  sixty  thou- 
sand dollars  ;  the  land  fifteen  thousand  ;  some  fifteen 
thousand-  are  yet  to  be  provided  for " 


Mr.  Payson  concluded  his  discourse  by  unfolding  and 

enlarging  upon  the  following  lessons,  of  which  we  have 

however,  orfly  this  skeleton  left : 

16 


1 82  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

"Lessons,  i.  We  see  how  strong,  under  God,  united 
effort  for  a  definite  purpose  becomes. 

"  2.  That  the  highest  joys  and  blessings  here  are  those 
for  which  we  have  toiled  and  sacrificed  ourselves. 

"  3.  That  the  same  God  who  guided  the  church  for  six 
thousand  years  is  with  us.  Oh '  remember  that  dark 
Friday  eighteen  centuries  ago  when  Christ  travailed  in 
soul.  He  shall  see  the  result  and  be  satisfied.  May  we 
travail  with  him  here  and  rejoice  there  for  ever." 

In  the  providence  of  God  it  proved  that  Mr.  Payson's 
work  was  almost  done  when  he  entered  this  new  build- 
ing with  his  flock.  He  was  privileged  to  worship  with 
them  there  scarcely  two  years,  and  then  was  taken  from 
the  midst  of  abundant  usefulness  and  widely  extending 
labors,  in  the  fulness  of  life,  with  the  best  part  of  his 
ministry  yet  in  prospect,  and  in  the  very  prime  and 
promise  of  his  years,  to  worship  in  those  other  courts 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.     But 

"  Service  there  is  rest, 
Rest,  service :  for  the  Paradise  of  saints, 
Like  Eden  with  its  toilless  husbandry, 
Has  many  plants  to  tend,  and  flowers  to  twine, 
And  fruit-trees  in  the  garden  of  the  soul 
That  ask  the  culture  of  celestial  skill." 


HOME  LIFE.  183 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

HOME  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

There  are  a  great  many  elements  of  character  which 
can  never  be  discovered  in  the  forum  or  the  street.  They 
must  be  sought  for  in  the  quiet  seclusion  of  the  study  or 
the  drawingroom,  an  hour's  frolic  with  the  children,  a 
summer's  tramp  in  the  woods,  or  the  common  routine  of 
daily  experience  at  home. 

The  unselfish  love  which  Mr.  Payson  cherished  for 
those  who  in  the  providence  of  God  were  brought  to  be 
in  any  way  dependent  upon  him,  made  him  at  all  times  a 
most  dutiful  son  and  a  helpful  and  sympathizing  brother. 
Speaking  of  his  care  and  thoughtfulness  of  their  widowed 
mother  in  her  declining  years,  one  of  his  sisters  says : 

Most  fond  and  proud  his  mother  always  was  of  this  her  eldest  son. 
She  being  like  him,  warm-hearted,  active,  and  energetic,  their  feelings  were 
wholly  congenial,  and  his  annual  visits  to  her  home  were  occasions  of 
much  delight  to  both  mother  and  son.  What  Charles  thought,  or  said,  or 
did,  was  always  wise  and  right  in  her  partial  eyes,  and  during  her  eight 
years  of  widowhood  she  relied  implicitly  on  his  advice  and  judgment.  He 
was  indeed  to  her  in  every  respect  all  that  the  eldest  son  should  be  to  a 
widowed  mother. 

We  younger  brothers  and  sisters  (she  continues)  looked  up  to  Charles, 
our  eldest  brother,  especially  after  he  entered  college,  as  to  an  oracle  ;  and 
when  older  grown,  numberless  have  been  the  occasions  when  we  have 
sought  his  kind  advice  or  sympathy,  and  found  it  to.be  just  what  we 
needed.  Going  to  him  with  burdened  hearts,  the  cordial  grasp  of  his 
hand  and  his  cheerful  words  of  welcome  lightened  our  burden  at  once; 
and  with  this  energetic  older  brother  to  aid  us  in  our  various  plans  and 
undertakings,  we  almost  felt  that  there  was  no  such  word  as  fail.    He  had 


1 84  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

such  strong  faith,  and  prayed  so  earnestly,  that  I  have  often  been  glad- 
dened to  know  he  was  praying  for  me.  I  hope  his  supplications  will  not 
cease  now  that  he  is  gone  from  earth. 

In  a  note  dated  January  3,  1855,  he  says  : 

My  Dear  Sister:  I  wanted  to  write  that  "long  letter"  you  asked 
for,  so  that  you  should  receive  it  New  Year's,  but,  as  usual,  was  too  busy. 
I  see  from  the  tone  of  your  last  that  you  are  in  what  might  be  called  the 
desperate  part  of  the  moulting  period.  You  feel  as  though  you  cared  for 
no  one,  and  no  one  cared  for  you ;  that  you  are  of  no  use  to  the  world, 
and  the  sooner  you  are  out  of  it  the  happier  you  would  be.  You  look 
upon  every  one  as  a  critic,  and  while  you  would  like  a  kind  friend,  you 
wish  others  to  make  all  the  advances.  Every  word  and  move  is  construed, 
if  possible,  to  your  disadvantage.     In  fact,  you  feel  generally  miserable. 

Now,  my  dear  sister,  while  I  pity,  do  n't  think  I  shall  give  you  one 
encouraging  word.  I  know  just  where  you  are,  I  think.-  I  have  been 
through  the  same  battle,  and  know  that  every  one  must  fight  it  for  himself 
some  time.  You  have  fought  it  younger  than  most ;  but  I  think  I  can  see 
a  little  clear  sky  in  your  case.  You  say  that  you  '"are  going  to  do  just 
what  is  right,  and  let  people  do  and  say  what  they  please."  A  capital 
resolution!  And  just  as  soon  as,  trusting  in  God,  you  can  live  it,  you  will 
be  happy.  Till  then  all  the  letters  of  consolation  and  the  volumes  of 
advice  that  could  be  bestowed  will  not  benefit  you  a  straw.  So  thinking, 
I  shall  now  cease  my  homily  and  take  up  the  news.  .  .  . 

SepV.  6,  1859. 

My  Dear  Little  Sis:  I  call  you  little,  for  I  cannot  realize  that  you 
have  become  so  old.  I  can't  make  you  more  than  seventeen,  and  I  do  really 
hope  that  my  dear,  cheerful,  laughter-loving  sister  may  always  remain  sweet 
seventeen  at  heart,  even  though  her  hair  should  in  the  lapse  of  time  turn 
gray  and  her  loving  face  be  wrinkled  with  the  cares  of  this  busy  world. 
You  know  as  well  as  I  the  best  charm  to  drive  dark  trouble  away.  Oh,  is 
it  not  blessed  to  cast  all  our  care  on  Him ! 

I  was  reading  a  sweet  verse  this  morning,  and  I  must  tell  it  to  you. 
It  is  in  Psalm  38  :  9  :  "  Lord,  all  my  desire  is  before  thee."  He  is  a  happy 
man  that  can  bring  his  every  desire — all  of  them,  and  lay  them  down  be- 
fore Jesus,  and  say,  "  Lord,  thou  knowest  my  every  wish ;  if  it  is  best  for 
me  to  have  them,  it  will  make  them  tenfold  more  precious  because  thou 
didst  give  them;  and  if  thou  seest  that  I  shall  be  better  without  them,  I 
am  content,  for  thou  art  still  my  own,  and  in  thee  I  am  happy,  though  all 
else  be  removed."  Let  us,  my  dear  sister,  make  the  most  of  our  precious 
religion,  it  is  so  full  of  joy.  We  can  carry  heaven  in  our  hearts  if  we  only 
will.     Why,  then,  stay  so  far  away  from  Him  that  is  altogether  lovely! 


HOME  LIFE.  1S5 

You  speak  most  affectingly  your  pathetic  farewell,  as  though  it  was 
settled  that  I  was  to  be  married  in  four  or  five  weeks.  Spare  your  tears. 
It  will  be  time  to  shed  them  when  the  direful  event  takes  place,  if  at  all, 
which  seems  extremely  doubtful.  Still,  if  my  Father  would  send  to  me 
the  "  right  one  "  to  make  my  lonesome  hours  cheerful,  to  sympathize  with 
me  when  I  come  in  tired  out — in  fact,  to  make  the  solitary  one  a  home,  I 
should  be  very  happy  and  very  thankful ;  and  yet  even  this  I  can  leave 
with  him.  Just  when  Thou  pleasest.  I  have  never  been  so  happy  as 
during  this  last  year,  and  all  because  I  have  lived  nearer  to  my  Saviour 
than  ever  before.  Keep  your  hand  in  his  all  the  time,  dearest,  and  you 
will  always  be  happy. 

Forgive  my  long  sermon,  but  my  heart  was  full  to-night,  and  I  talked 
as  I  felt.  I  often  think  of  you  in  your  loneliness,  and  am  very  proud  that 
I  have  such  a  dear,  courageous  sister,  and  one  that  is  winning  so  many 
dear  friends  to  herself  and  family  by  her  energy  and  cheerful  courage. 

Yours,  CHARLIE. 

No.  113  Clinton  Place,  ) 
Sept.  6,  1859.  i 

My  Dear  Mother,  Sisters,  and  Brothers  :  I  received  your  de- 
lightful package  of  letters  to-day,  and  a  happy  morning  I  had  studying 

them  out.     By  the  way,  D ,  allow  me  to  remark  that  a  little  lampblack 

or  coal-dust  would  not  injure  the  color  of  your  ink.  I  was  very  sorry  to 
learn  of  the  serious  illness  of  so  many  in  Fayetteville.  Do  be  very  care- 
ful of  yourselves,  and  especially  of  mother,  as  I  feel  very  anxious  about 
her  delicate  state  of  health.  If  any  of  you  are  seriously  ill,  inform  me  at 
once,  for  I  can  run  home  any  time  for  a  day  for  two,  if  it  seems  best.  .  . . 

Everything  is  only  too  encouraging  in  my  work.  I  am  almost  afraid 
when  I  see  God  beginning  to  bless  me ;  I  become  instantly  so  proud,  that 
I  have  to  suffer  fearfully  in  consequence.  But  he  is  very  good.  I  never 
was  happier,  and  hope  I  can  leave  everything  in  his  hand  to  guide  just  as 
he  wishes.     Do  pray  for  me.     It  is  blessed  to  think  you  are  prayed  for. 

Let  me  hear  soon,  as  I  feel  quite  anxious  in  regard  to  the  prevailing 
epidemic.  Yours, 

CHARLIE. 

His  eldest  sister  was  called,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  to  labor  as  a  foreign  missionary  in  one  of  the  open 
ports  of  China,  and  her  departure  to  that  field  in  1868, 
and  faithful  labors  for  many  years  among  the  perishing 
millions  of  that  heathen  city,  became  the  occasions  of 


1 86  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

an  active  sympathy  and  prayerful  interest  which  only 
death  could  change. 

"It  has  been  sad  work,"  he  writes  to  a  friend,  "getting  D 's 

things  together — sometimes  even  solemn,  as  I  thought  we  might  never 
see  her  again,  China  is  such  a  long  way  off.  Still  the  thought  comes  at 
once,  'It  is  God's  work,  and  when  he  calls,  blessed  are  those  who  obey.' 
I  hope  none  of  our  House  will  ever  be  Jonahs,  refusing  to  do  his  holy 
will.  China  is  such  a  grand  field.  There  is  so  much  that  is  thrilling  in 
the  thought  of  bringing  that  vast  empire  to  know  of  Christ  and  his  salva- 
tion." ....  To  herself  he  writes :  "  We  think  of  you  and  pray  for  you 
often,  hoping  the  dear  Lord  will  use  you  to  his  glory  and  the  good  of 
souls.     And  we  will  be  willing  to  say,  '  Thy  will,  O  God,  be  done.'  " 

Nov.  17,  1868. 

My  Dear  Sister:  We  were  very  glad  to  hear  from  you  yesterday, 
and  to  learn  of  your  safety  thus  far.  When  I  heard  the  windows  shaking 
Saturday  night,  as  I  had  not  heard  them  shake  for  months,  and  thought 
that  the  wind  was  blowing  directly  on  shore,  I  felt  no  little  concern  for 
your  safety.  Monday  and  Tuesday  morning  papers,  were  eagerly  scanned 
for  any  news  of  the  Arizona,  and,  I  assure  you,  that  time  no  news  was 
good  news.  My  seasickness  for  ten  days  in  crossing  the  Atlantic  enables 
me  to  appreciate  your  trouble ;  I  only  think  I  had  rather  have  it  right 
sharp,  as  you  did  in  the  gale,  than  long  drawn  out  to  perfect  weariness. 

You  will  be  glad  to  know  that  our  people  remember  you  in  their 

prayer-meetings.     G says  he  was  a  little  startled  Sunday  night  to  hear 

a  young  man  in  the  prayer-meeting  who  had  prayed  for  the  church-offi- 
cers, exclaim,  "But  we  would  particularly  remember  the  sister  of  our  pas- 
tor, who  has  just  left  us  for  China."  If  it  is  startling,  nevertheless  it  is 
most  delightful  to  him  who  believes  in  prayer,  to  feel  that  others  who 
love  God  and  whom  God  loves,  are  presenting  petitions  in  his  or  her  be- 
half      Your  dear  letters  are  a  great  comfort  to  us.     Our  people  are 

deeply  interested  in  them,  and  if  there  is  any  way  in  which  you  could 
wisely  use  $100  or  $200  a  year  for  the  mission,  I  am  sure  it  would  be 
forthcoming.  They  have  just  sent  an  extra  $100  to  Mrs.  Lloyd,  of  South 
Africa,  making  $260  for  the  year  just  ended.  G has  sent  you  a  speci- 
men of  our  new  Prayer  Register,  from  which  you  will  see  you  are  remem- 
bered especially,  every  Tuesday I  rejoice  in  God's  goodness  to 

you,  inclining  the  hearts  of  your  dear  scholars  to  seek  Christ.  Our  peo- 
ple prayed  for  them  with  much  earnestness.     It  is  remarkable  that  so 

large  a  proportion  of  them  have  shown  such  interest 

Ever  yours,  CHARLES. 


HOME  LIFE.  187 

"  Forgive  me,  my  dear  sister,"  he  writes  again,  "  if  I  seem  neglectful 
ever.  This  is  Monday,  my  rest-day.  Yet  I  have  a  service  at  half-past 
eleven,  and  another  at  half  past  twelve.     Presbytery  meets  at  two  o'clock, 

and  I  have  an  urgent  invitation  from  Mrs.  I to  address  a  Woman's 

meeting  this  evening.  .  .  .  We  have  scattered  300  mite-boxes  among  our 
families,  and  have  received  some  $200  in  four  months.  I  have  asked  the 
Sunday-school  children  to  raise  the  money  for  the  telescope  you  need. 
They  gave  me  about  $40  last  Sabbath,  and  two  months  hence  will  bring 
their  contributions  again,  so  that  I  hope  to  forward  the  instrument  to  you 
before  a  great  while." 

New  York,  1876. 

My  Dear  D :  How  fast  the  weeks  speed  away  !  until  before  we 

know  it  they  have  passed  into  months !  You  know  not  how  often  I  re- 
proach myself  for  permitting  so  many  days  to  pass  before  I  write  you. 
There  are  two  reasons  for  this,  I  think.  In  the  first  place,  I  have  no  fac- 
ulty as  a  letter-writer;  and  in  the  second,  I  feel  as  though  (you  are  so  far 
off)  T  must  write  a  very  long  letter  to  make  it  worth  while  to  write  at  all. 

Perhaps  if  I  did  not  see  your  nice  letters  to  G ,  I  should  write  oftener, 

for  the  sake  of  getting  hold  of  Foochow  news.  I  was  much  pleased,  as 
well  as  the  rest  of  your  friends,  at  the  pluck  with  which  you  rescued  your 
pictures  from  the  "absorbing  Chinee."  We  all  laughed,  and  felt  you 
needed  no  one  to  fight  your  battles 

Our  new  building  is  every  week  more  homelike,  and  we  all  enjoy  it. 
Our  people  have  raised  about  $7,000  this  year,  and  there  is  at  present  an 
excellent  spirit  among  them.  We  are  beginning  to  count  the  years  and 
months  before  we  can  hope  to  see  you.  I  trust  you  will  have  an  assistant 
in  training,  so  that  you  can  leave  without  anxiety. 

With  much  love,  yours,  CHARLES. 

Mr.  Payson's  domestic  life  was  as  happy  as  his  public 
life  was  useful.  He  was  married  August  6,  1861,  to  Miss 
Mary  Lord  Ely,  eldest  daughter  of  John  Ely,  Esq.,  of  this 
city,  who  proved  to  him  through  all  his  remaining  years 
a  faithful  and  devoted  wife.  His  children — of  whom 
there  were  five,  two  boys  and  three  girls — were  as  dear 
to  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye,  for  he  was  a  man.  of  ar- 
dent affections  ;  and  their  early  lives  were  blessed  with 
the  love  of  a  father  whose  prayers  for  them  each  day  at 


1 38  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

the  family  altar  seemed  to  bear  them  up  on  eagle  wings 
to  the  very  shelter  of  the  throne. 

His  entire  life  at  home  was  pervaded  by  the  same 
spirit  which  made  him  among  his  people  and  in  the 
church  so  tenderly  beloved.  In  a  letter  to  his  sister, 
written  January  12,  1876,  he  says  : 

It  often  seems  to  me  that  it  is  not  so  much /or  what  we  do  that  God 
gives  us  work  here,  as  to.see  what  sort  of  characters  we  shall  develop  in 
these  duties ;  nay,  rather,  what  spiritual  wealth  we  may  gather  in  and 
through  them ;  and  I  do  hope  that  all  your  trials  of  loneliness  and  care 
may  make  you  very  rich  to  all  eternity. 

Under  the  influence  of  this  belief  his  domestic  life 
was  continually  illumined  by  the  cheerfulness  of  a  sunny 
faith  which,  as  one  of  his  most  intimate  friends  once  said, 
"resolutely  looked  at  everything  in  a  bright  light,  and  nei- 
ther foreboded  evil  nor  imputed  it  to  others."  His  coming 
home  was  to  his  children  like  a  burst  of  sunshine.  The 
evening  which  he  always  spent  with  them,  in  fulfilment 
of  his  engagement  with  his  people  to  be  regularly  "  at 
home  on  Thursdays,"  was  the  happiest  of  the  week. 
He  usually  had  some  story  or  game  or  interesting  bit  of 
information  with  which  to  amuse  them,  and  the  hour  for 
retiring  always  came  earlier  in  their  judgment  on  that 
night  than  on  any  other.  Nothing  could  attract  or  inter- 
est them  in  any  degree  as  he  did. 

By  instinct  and  experience  a  teacher,  he  was  fertile 
in  devices  by  which  to  impart  useful  knowledge  to  them, 
while  at  the  same  time  he  was  giving  them  diversion  and 
amusement.  One  method  which  he  chose  was  to  have 
them  each  bring  him,  at  breakfast,  the  name  of  a  famil- 


HOME  LIFE. 


iar  object  (as  knife  or  chair  or  book)  in  all  the  different 
languages  they  could  find.  The  object  was  agreed  upon 
the  day  before  at  the  breakfast-table,  and  he  himself  took 
part  with  them  in  the  work  and  the  sport.  Each  one  was 
furnished  with  a  book  neatly  ruled  in  six  columns,  for 
English,  French,  German,  Latin,  Greek,  and  "Various," 
by  which  was  meant  Dutch,  Spanish,  or  Portuguese,  as 
the  case  might  be.  The  words  were  always  printed,  be- 
cause the  youngest  could  not  write  ;  and  if  the  work  was 
neatly  done,  at  the  end  of  the  week  each  child  received 
some  slight  reward.  Following  is  an  example  of  this 
exercise. 


ENGLISH. 

FRENCH. 

GERMAN.                    LATIN. 

GREEK. 

VARIOUS. 

HOUSE. 

DOOR. 

HALL. 

MAISON. 

PORTE. 

SALLE. 

HAUS. 
THOR. 
SAAL. 

DOMUS. 
PORTA. 
AULA. 

OIKOS. 

THURA. 

AULE. 

CAS  A. 

PORTA. 

SALA. 

His  children  also  greatly  profited  by  his  love  of  na- 
ture and  science,  especially  of  geology,  of  which  he  was 
very  fond.  He  would  call  their  attention  to  a  common 
stone  or  flower,  perhaps,  and  then,  after  reading  a  little 
from  some  book  on  the  subject,  which  was  far  beyond 
their  comprehension,  would  give  them  a  simple  lecture, 
explaining  the  laws  of  nature  with  apt  and  frequent  illus- 
tration, and  making  it  all  so  attractive  that  even  older 
persons  would  stop  and  listen  as  interested  as  the  chil- 
dren themselves. 

He  seldom  went  away  from  home  without  writing 
them  letters,  of  which  the  following  illustrate  the  readi- 
ness with  which  he  could  adapt  himself  even  to  the 
youngest. 


Tuesday  //IphhLng 

?aJ>cu-  if    f&£3  WAoait/  JbleetsetC    tr  get;  you.t*  ncee. 
\t£ter~T     a,ftd  know     t/ou,  do  n6trto/*g(d Aim,     /fe.  wiH  Aai-e,  TT  see* 
Cs"  triti£r~f(o*veh  Ae*t  a,s    Soon.    <ts  A&oets  A/o»ie-~ 

WA&h.  Jofi&s  Wax  u/  iru  ike  f»o  octs  tAzy  iAcwedAun  to  ttttfe, 
ds-tcun.  d  Vtv   &ul fitcddCe.    or KiyJLaA^.    "Two    w  ccAs    o^go~c£^f 
S<X,\*-  S'o)n&~&u.n£  SwipiftiLiiQ     U\j   i£t,  MrcCfetzTAet/tiok,    tfu^-ooeCts 
CLn.cC  we-tCt  afte-t~  cA:    hn&t,  thJLJf  gof  c2ase.tr  it 6%.&u  Jom^    It 
Was    cuJiea,h.      Ate,   could,  hj>~C  Aito^f  tALefiis  trv    &ie~\rccfer>  So 
they  dit-orz.  A//n    en  to  the,  Xstajid-    Ofi^otct  wcrfcA-etA  &nx> 
Urncle,    the  oiAet-  went AneAfo^  ihj^pun^   coixC  ctcg-  iVAteA^ 
/%eu  Cdtoe-AacA  the, ■J^Cd.^'  Add  yun,  CrCtS    thcAitsAes.     TAedop 
f  a-n,  aft     H)u.n\cL    thuing  "to  find  Acm  .       TA£,~i%rt  /nasi  went 
a-ft&r-  Ac'm,    o/it,  Wttfl  tft-e.  gun ;  &i<l.  acnes-    wi&T  $t~on  cs-  wC/iZ 
cJiz&xi.     At&tf>  close  Usl(fi  youh-  gu.fi   soyoi(-   Ccla.  fail  Ai»v  (J 
/ie-    Hen?  after-  ?n-L~,''Ae.s<uct.  W/itfi.  Ae,  7ooAt-ejd  Aou,hjcL- /%£, 
iTL-CLru     Aq,cL  Hot  sttA-leed  //&.  tve^s  af/-£cd^.'  TAe/t  the,  /na,ft^ 
titt-tri?  a,  sCf/j  c  aits' Afe.  AusA.es.  7/u.  fie&J*  ycux>  o  iCtr  //i£^, 
Aleut     sAot  aim    w L(&    me  gun,  Au-ir  did  hoir  Aili  Aiu?i* 
7Ae    Sear-    Ju.m/6-ed,   cn-to'  the,  bade.,  /&,  dog    aftes-Acm. 

T/ie,mtft   got  into    "ttf*.   Jfo&t^tovv-ed,  after   Aon.  s/iot- 
Ac/n  a-ga.cn  a/ict  fttllccC  A £>n ■  MAehs  h? g«C  aiet-t-    tke.tj    s/iew* 
<4cL  /;;<.  O/ie.  of  /ic$  gr-tut  sAis.^6  cla.ws- 
AUtl    Qi*.  ^BaAu  v  £ctcfa  <r  tf&HiA  *-/fJajrtA,  *■  %'tre.  sny  love  tTaiL 


HOME  LIFE.  191 

Monday  Morning. 

Dear  Charlie  and  Sarah  and  Bess  :  It  rains  very  hard  to-day, 
so  I  will  take  time  to  tell  my  dear  children  what  I  have  been  doing.  The 
cars  took  me  by  Mr.  Brown's  house,  South  Orange,  and  Morristown  to 
Dover.  There  I  took  the  Boonville  cars.  These  are  wide  cars  like  the 
Erie's,  and  I  had  a  very  good  seat.  When  I  reached  the  Delaware  river 
Mr.  Jessup  came  into  the  cars.  He  told  me  all  about  the  great  river  that 
runs  in  the  deep  gulf  so  far  below. 

Then  we  rolled  across  a  high  bridge  and  passed  into  another  state. 
Geography  class!  please  tell  me  what  state  it  was.  Then  we  climbed  up 
to  the  top  of  the  Pocano  mountains.  Here  was  a  great  sawmill  and  thou- 
sands of  huge  logs  belonging  to  Mr.  Dodge  of  New  York.  A  little  be- 
yond we  came  to  a  large  town  named  Scranton,  where  we  got  a  lunch. 
Mr.  Jessup  left  me  pretty  soon  after  at  Montrose.  It  is  up  here  that  our 
coal  comes  from.  They  dig  it  out  in  big  pieces,  then  put  it  into  a  kind  of 
mill  called  a  Breaker,  which  makes  it  of  the  sizes  you  see  in  the  cars.  At 
five  o'clock  I  was  at  Binghamton.  Tell  mamma  the  first  person  almost 
that  I  saw  was  Mr.  Joseph  Ely.    He  wished  me  to  come  back  and  preach 

Sunday 

Then  we  rolled  across  the  country  to  Syracuse.  When  I  found  that 
there  was  a  train  at  nine  o'clock  to  Manlius,  I  was  very  sorry  I  did  not 
bring  Sarah  with  me.  Aunt  Amelia  was  very  glad  to  see  me.  Willie  was 
so  sorry  Charlie  did  not  come.  He  had  a  pony  and  rode  him  very  nicely, 
"because  he  was  seven  years  old  and  was  strong."  In  the  afternoon  I 
took  the  cars  to  Auntie  Lou's.  Fanny  was  in  bed,  but  wanted  me  to  come 
and  kiss  her.  Now,  where  are  your  letters  ?  Write  soon.  Give  love  to 
all,  and  a  kiss  to  mamma  and  Eddy  from 

Your  own  dear  PAPA. 

Nothing  touched  him  more  deeply  or  gave  him 
greater  joy  in  all  his  intercourse  with  his  children,  than 
even  the  slightest  evidence  of  their  being  drawn  in  any 
degree  towards  a  Christian  life.  His  daily  prayers  for 
them  at  the  hour  of  "worship"  were  very  remarkable. 
Each  schoolboy  temptation  and  childish  want  were  re- 
membered at  the  throne  of  grace  with  a  fervor  and  rev- 
erent familiarity  of  faith  which  seemed  to  plead  that  no 
want  could  be  small  in  the  sight  of  God  which  was  a  real 
want.      His  reference  to  the  changing  experiences   of 


192  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

their  daily  lives — the  separations,  reunions,  sorrows,  joys, 
and  providential  blessings,  which  come  and  go  perpetu- 
ally in  life,  was  often  most  pathetic,  so  that  even  casual 
visitors  who  worshipped  with  the  family  were  deeply 
moved  and  led  to  own  the  power  of  simple  faith  to  make 
a  Christian  home  the  very  house  of  God  and  gate  of 
heaven. 

A  marked  characteristic  of  his  daily  life  was  prayerful- 
ness.  "  Every  morning  after  breakfast,  before  begin- 
ning his  studies  for  the  day,"  writes  Mrs.  Payson,  "  he 
had  an  hour  to  himself  for  prayer  and  meditation  which 
he  never  missed  when  at  home.  While  he  was  ill,  I  read 
to  him,  at  his  request,  from  Bowen's  Meditations*  and  a 
short  passage  from  the  Bible.  From  the  time  we  were 
married  I  never  knew  of  his  having  anything  to  decide 
that  was  of  any  importance  that  he  did  not  ask  me  to 
pray  with  him.  He  always  prayed  over  his  sermons,  and 
asked  me,  if  I  did  not  go  to  church,  to  remember  him  in 
prayer  at  home.  He  never  went  to  any  committee-meet- 
ing without  praying  with  me,  and  I  do  not  remember  of 
our  going  out  to  make  calls  or  visits  together,  especially 
if  it  were  at  a  time  when  what  he  said  might  be  of  influ- 
ence to  others  in  a  religious  life,  that  he  did  not  ask  me 
to  pray  with  him. 

"  He  did  not  go  out  to  his  afternoon  visiting  among  his 
own  people  without  prayer,  if  only  a  moment  or  two  in 
the  study  before  leaving.  He  often  took  some  one  per- 
son and  made  him  an  especial  subject  of  prayer.     Such 

*  His  favorite  book  of  devotion  during  the  last  years  of  his  life. 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  193 

he  would  commonly  remember  at  bedtime  when  we  were 
alone.  He  would  pray  for  any  of  those  near  to  his  heart 
either  by  ties  of  blood  or  friendship  at  our  family  morn- 
ing worship.  I  rejoice  to  remember  how  very  often  he 
has  prayed  with  me  in  every  trouble,  and  in  every  cause 
of  thanksgiving,  in  our  own  especial  cares  and  troubles 
as  well  as  those  of  his  dear  people.  And  the  same  spirit 
of  constant  devotion  made  itself  felt  in  all  his  relations 

to  his  friends.      You  recollect  that  when  Mrs.  M 

asked  him  to  remember  her  sons  at  the  Fulton  St.  Pray- 
er-meeting, he  said  to  her,  '  Why  not  here  and  now  ?' 
So  he  then  knelt  with  her,  and  she  will  never  forget  his 
earnest,  loving  petitions  for  her  and  hers.  Often  when 
anything  came  up  that  especially  disturbed  him  he  would 
spread  it  out  before  the  Lord,  and  then  as  he  said  '  he 
would  leave  if,  and  not  suffer  himself  to  be  wearied  or 
troubled  by  it.  I  shall  never  forget  the  day  he  left  us, 
how  the  same  little  grace  was  said  over  his  cup  of  beef 
tea  or  glass  of  milk :  '  God  bless  this  food  and  may  it 
give  me  strength  to  recover.'  He  desired  to  have  the 
doctors  prayed  for  as  his  friends,  and  to  give  them  the 
assurance  of  his  trust  in  their  skill." 

His  confidence  in  prayer  was  remarkable.  Nothing 
that  gave  him  any  trouble  was  too  small  for  him  to  spread 
before  the  Lord,  and  when  he  had  done  this  he  expected 

to  receive  an  answer.     Speaking  of  moving  from  O 

into  the  city  he  says  : 

I  do  not  know  whether  we  shall  get  into  the  city  this  summer  or  not. 
Am  trying  to  leave  it  all  in  our  Father's  hands.  What  a  blessed  thought 
that  we  are  His  lowed  children,  and  that  He  so  tenderly  cares  for  us  be- 

AU  for  Ctirlst.  1  *\ 


i94  ALL  FOR  CLIRIST. 

cause  we  are  his  children,  Joshua  I  :  7  to  9  has  been  a  great  comfort  to 
me  of  late.  Read  it,  and  may  God  help  you  to  be  strong  and  of  good  cour- 
age. 

About  the  erection  of  his  new  chapel  he  writes, 
"  Pray  for  us  that  God  would  send  us  the  right  place,  the 
right  building,  and  the  right  kind  of  people  to  fill  the 
building."  The  architect,  Mr.  J.  C.  Cady,  sends  us  the 
following  reminiscence : 

Some  three  years  ago,  when  the  movement  for  building  his  new 
church  was  pressed  forward,  I  had  an  appointment  to  meet  the  building 
committee  and  pastor,  and  for  the  first  time  exhibit  the  studies  prepared 
for  it.  As  they  assembled  there  was  some  pleasant  conversation  on  vari- 
ious  topics,  when  finally  one  member  said,  "  Well,  I  think  it 's  time  we 
entered  upon  our  evening's  work  ;  suppose  we  have  the  portfolio  opened 
and  begin  to  consider  the  design." 

Before  any  movement  was  made  Mr.  Payson  said  very  quietly,  "I 
feel  it  is  a  very  serious  matter  that  we  enter  upon  this  evening.  Shall  we 
not  look  to  our  Heavenly  Father  for  his  divine  guidance  and  wisdom  ?" 
There  was  a  general  assent,  when  he  offered  a  short,  fervent,  and  perti- 
nent prayer. 

Although  meeting  frquently  with  church  committees  upon  such  busi- 
ness, I  had  never  before  met  with  one  whose  proceedings  were  opened  in 
this  proper  and  reasonable  manner.  Some  time  after,  when  the  plans 
were  drawing  near  completion,  I  met  a  mechanic — a  member  of  Mr.  Pay- 
son's  church — with  whom  I  was  acquainted.  Said  he:  "Mr.  Payson 
prayed  for  you  the  other  morning  in  church.''  "  Prayed  for  me!  What 
do  you  mean  ?"  said  I.  "  Why  he  prayed  that  the  Lord  in  his  wisdom 
would  bless  and  guide  the  mind  and  hand  that  were  arranging  and  design- 
ing their  new  house  of  worship,  that  it  might  be  to  the  glory  of  God  and 
their  own  best  advantage." 

Mr.  Payson's  religion  pervaded  his  whole  life,  as  these  incidents 
illustrate.  One  could  not  be  with  him  five  minutes  without  feeling  this, 
and  realizing  the  genuineness  and  sincerity  of  his  piety. 

Yours  sincerely,  J.  CLEAVELAND  CADY. 

In  this  connection  may  be  also  mentioned  the  follow- 
ing incident  related  by  a  member  of  his  church,  which 
illustrates  the  fact  that  religion  not  only  pervaded  all  his 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  195 

life,  but  that  it  bore  its  natural  fruits  in  a  loving-  and  for- 
giving disposition. 

In  the  summer  of  1872,  while  Mr.  Payson  and  his  family  were 
absent  from  the  city  for  a  time,  two  boys  of  16  or  18  years  of  age  were 
seen  to  enter  the  basement  of  his  residence  and  remain  long  enough  to 
create  suspicion.  The  police  were  notified,  and  upon  opening  the  house 
found  the  two  boys  endeavoring  to  secure  valuables.  They  were  arrested 
and  were  believed  to  be  in  league  with  professional  house-breakers. 

That  same  evening  Mr.  Payson  returned  to  the  city,  and  after 
attending  the  prayer-meeting  invited  me  to  spend  the  night  with  him. 

The  earnest  prayer  he  offered  before  retiring  I  shall  never  forget. 
He  remembered  his  absent  family  most  affectionately,  and  the  church 
people  in  all  their  vicissitudes  in  life,  and  asked  that  God  would  bless 
them  and  cause  all  out  of  Christ  to  early  seek  his  salvation.  And  then 
came  the  part  of  the  prayer  which  impressed  me  most.  He  prayed  God 
to  forgive  those  boys  that  had  sought  to  rob  him,  and  to  lead  them  out  of 
darkness  into  his  marvellous  light,  that  they  might  be  changed  from  their 
evil  ways  and  that  this  experience  might  prove  a  great  lesson  to  them  and 
prevent  their  going  on  in  sin.  .  .  . 

Another  incident  is  recalled  by  a  friend  in  the  follow- 
ing words : 

One  of  his  church-members  accidentally  broke  her  looking-glass, 
the  only  one  she  had.  Distressed  at  her  loss,  and,  on  account  of  her 
poverty  unable  to  replace  the  article,  she  took  her  trouble  in  prayer  to 
God.  She  had  heard  from  the  lips  of  her  pastor  of  God's  loving  father- 
hood, and  that  although  nothing  was  too  great  for  his  power,  neither  was 
anything  too  trivial  for  his  notice.  So  she  prayed  in  faith  and  very  soon, 
the  next  day  it  may  have  been,  the  answer  came.  A  wealthy  gentleman 
having  heard  of  the  poor  woman's  loss,  made  her  a  present  of  the  desired 
article. 

This  gentleman  meeting  her  pastor  soon  after,  referred  to  the 
broken  looking-glass  and  expressed  some  doubts  as  to  the  propriety  of 
troubling  the  Lord  with  such  a  trifling  matter.  "  But,"  said  Mr.  Payson, 
"it  was  no  trifle  to  the  poor  woman.  Her  one  mirror  was  perhaps  as 
valuable  in  her  estimation  as  a  whole  cargo  of  mirrors  would  be  to  you. 
And  I  think  if  you  had  a  ship  loaded  with  costly  mirrors  just  nearing  the 
harbor,  and  a  fearful  storm  should  arise  driving  the  vessel  out  to  sea,  you 
would  not  think  it  out  of  place  to  ask  God  to  preserve  the  vessel  and  its 
valuable  freight."  The  gentleman's  reply  indicated  that  he  should  feel 
quite  justified  in  offering  prayer  concerning  an  affair  of  such  importance. 


196  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

This  feature  of  his  character,  it  should  be  said,  greatly- 
affected  his  influence  upon  his  people.  Not  only  did  it 
lead  him  in  his  pastoral  visits  to  pray  with  and  for  them 
with  an  impassioned  fervor  and  directness  which  enabled 
them  to  realize  the  divine  sympathy,  but  it  moulded  all 
his  intercourse  with  them,  and  especially  his  friendly 
counsels  and  advice.  More  than  one  has  testified  since 
his  decease  that  throughout  the  seventeen  years  of  his 
ministry,  nothing  impressed  them  so  deeply  as  the  uni- 
form earnestness  and  sincerity  with  which,  after  they 
had  conferred  with  him  about  some  doubt  or  trouble  and 
he  had  given  them  sound  advice,  he  would  invariably 
add,  "  Now  take  the  matter  to  the  Lord.  Lay  it  before 
him  and  ask  what  he  would  have  you  do.  You  cannot 
go  astray  if  you  are  following  his  voice." 

Next  to  his  prayerfulness  should  be  mentioned  the 
cheerfulness  of  Mr.  Payson's  life.  The  hearty  enthusiasm 
with  which  he  engaged  in  every  good  work  for  the  Mas- 
ter was  carried  into  games  and  recreations  as  well ;  and 
in  the  dull  routine  of  common  life  there  was  seldom 
found  an  hour  when  he  could  be  surprised  by  his  friends 
in  anything  like  despondency.  His  cheerful  faith  in  God 
was  at  all  times  sunlit  and  bright,  gladdening  his  own 
personal  experience  and  sweetening  his  intercourse  with 
men. 

One  secret  of  this,  perhaps,  is  to  be  sought  in  the  sin- 
gular purity  of  his  character.  Nothing  impure  ever  se- 
cured a  lodgment  in  his  mind  ;  it  was  like  a  magnet,  which 
draws  the  clean  bits  of  shining  metal  from  the  heap  of 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  197 

sand.  He  abhorred  that  which  was  evil.  Obscene  and 
vulgar  things  might  come  to  his  notice  day  by  day,  as 
they  must  come  to  every  man  engaged  in  work  like  his ; 
but  no  sooner  were  they  met  and  recognized,  than  they 
were  indignantly  cast  out  of  mind  and  heart  with  the 
same  sort  of  repellant  energy  with  which  the  pith-balls  of 
an  electric  machine  are  touched  and  tossed.  His  lan- 
guage and  conduct,  as  the  mirrors  of  his  thought,  were 
pure. 

"Although,"  says  a  most  intimate  friend,  "it  was  his 
lot  to  often  see  and  know  much  that  was  vicious,  he 
never  was  tainted  by  it.  He  was  always  distressed  if  a 
story  or  a  joke  were  told  in  his  hearing  which  would  not 
bear  the  light  of  open  day,  and  was  not  perfectly  pure. 
This  was  very  lovely  in  him ;  it  was  like  Christ.  He  was 
truly  among  those  blessed  ones  who  are  '  pure  in  heart ;' 
'  blessed,  for  they  shall  see  God.' " 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Street,  formerly  of  this  city, 
writes  : 

My  intimacy  with  him  was  very  close  ;  but  I  never  heard  from  him  an 
expression  which  he  would  not  have  the  whole  world  hear.  Full  of  viva- 
city, sprightly,  cheerful,  ready  to  join  in  the  heartiest  merriment  in  the 
very  boyishness  of  abandon,  he  never  departed  from  the  most  delicate 
purity,  nor  would  he  tolerate  it  for  a  moment  in  others.  He  carried  with 
him  constantly  the  conviction  of  God's  presence  and  his  own  accountabil- 
ity. "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  was  the  question  of  his  life, 
and  to  do  God's  will  was  his  inflexible  purpose.  In  this,  if  possible,  he 
was  morbidly  conscientious. 

Such  purity  of  mind  must  have  its  influence  on  the 
life.  It  leaves  it  sunlit,  like  the  sky  from  which  each 
earthly  cloud  is  brushed  away.  And  Mr.  Payson's  life 
was  full  of  cheerfulness. 


i93  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

"There  was  nothing  long-faced  or  straight-laced  about 
his  religion,"  writes  a  sister ;  "not  the  slightest  tinge  of 
melancholy.  By  nature  cheerful  and  buoyant — more  so, 
I  think,  than  any  of  the  family — he  carried  the  same 
enviable  disposition  into  his  religion.  But  it  was  his 
strong  faith  and  childlike  confidence  in  his  heavenly 
Father,  inducing  him  to  bring  every  trouble  and  anxiety 
of  life  to  the  Father's  feet,  and  leave  them  there,  which 
served,  quite  as  much  as  did  his  natural  temperament,  to 
keep  him  so  light-hearted  and  untroubled.  There  were 
assuredly  very  few  days  in  all  his  ministry  when  he 
was  not  able  heartily  to  respond  to  the  words  of  the 
hymn, 

"  Careful  without  care  I  am, 
Nor  feel  my  happy  toil, 
Kept  in  peace  by  Jesus'  name, 

Supported  by  his  smile  ; 
Joyful  thus  my  faith  to  show, 

I  find  his  service  my  reward ; 
Every  work  I  do  below, 
I  do  it  to  the  Lord." 

In  a  letter  to  one  of  his  sisters,  he  says  : 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  religious  interest  among  our  people.  Our 
prayer-meetings  have  been  well  attended — indeed,  better  than  ever  before, 
and  many  are  anxiously  asking,  "  What  must  we  do  ?"  On  Monday  last 
we  had  an  important  meeting  of  our  Committee,  in  which  they  decided  not 
to  attempt  the  raising  of  the  funds  necessary  for  our  chapel  till  times  look 
more  auspicious.  I  came  home  quite  disheartened,  and  when  I  awoke 
the  next  morning  and  recalled  the  unwelcome  decision,  I  hardly  felt  am- 
bition enough  to  dress. .  .  .  But  just  then  a  little  voice  began  to  whis- 
per in  my  heart.  I  would  not  listen  at  first ;  but  it  grew  louder  and 
stronger,  till  I  could  not  but  hear,  and  it  said,  "  Why  art  thou  cast  down, 
O  my  soul,  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me  ?  hope  thou  in  God, 
for  I  shall  yet  praise  him  who  is  the  health  of  my  countenance  and  my 
God."    I  need  hardly  say,  my  dear  sister,  that  with  that  precious  word  out 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  199 

of  the  wells  of  salvation  my  anxiety  took  wings,  and  I  went  forth  to  my 
duty  to  spend  as  happy  a  day  as  I  have  known  in  a  long  time. 

"On  Christmas  last,"  writes  a  member  of  his  church,  "we  had  the 
customary  festival  for  the  children.  The  writer  was  requested  to  see  that 
the  organ  and  pulpit  were  decorated  with  evergreens,  and  Mr.  Payson  was 
desirous  that  it  should  be  done  on  Saturday  evening  to  be  ready  for  Sab- 
bath morning,  as  his  sermon  treated  of  Christmas,  and  Monday  was  Christ- 
mas day.  The  evergreens  did  not  arrive,  however,  in  time  to  admit  of 
their  being  hung  ;  and  when  I  sought  Mr.  Payson  the  next  morning  (Sab- 
bath) to  explain  to  him  the  reason,  with  a  heavenly  light  on  his  counte- 
nance he  replied,  '  It  is  all  right.  If  the  dear  Lord  wanted  them,  he  would 
have  arranged  it  so ;  but  as  it  appears  he  did  not  so  ordain,  it  is  just  as 
well.' 

"To  our  dear  pastor,"  he  adds,  "everything  was  right,  when  guided 
by  the  Lord ;  and  that  Sabbath  day  was  full  of  heavenly  thoughts  to  me, 
caused  by  those  few  golden  words  about  the  evergreens." 

It  appears  from  this  fact  that  "little  things"  as  well 
as  great  felt  the  impress  of  his  cheerfulness.  His  whole 
life,  indeed,  was  pervaded  by  the  sentiment  that  that  is 
an  unpardonable  conceit  of  men  which  makes  them  look 
upon  some  things  as  little  in  the  sight  of  God  which 
they  call  little,  and  that,  if  it  pleases  God  to  think  of  us 
at  all,  everything  we  care  for  is  His  care.  So  common 
life  and  trivial  wants  were  touched  and  gladdened  by  his 
faith.  ' 

He  had  a  great  love  for  nature  too,  which  appeared  at 
times  to  attain  the  strength  of  an  absorbing  passion.  From 
childhood  he  was  a  most  enthusiastic  fisherman,  and  in 
summer  vacations  would  roam  for  days  together  by  the  side 
of  a  little  stream  or  mountain  lake,  delighted  whenever 
he  caught  a  "  shiner  "  or  "  had  a  bite."  He  loved  the  wild 
woods,  and  the  crags  and  peaks  of  rocky  hills.  Switzerland 
and  the  Tyrol  remained  an  inspiration  in  his  memory  long 
after  he  had  been  among  their  peaks.     And  "camping 


200  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

out,"  whether  among  the  streams  and  forests  of  his  own 
free  land,  or  in  the  barren,  desolated  plains  of  Palestine, 
became  a  mode  of  life  congenial  to  his  tastes  and  grate- 
ful to  his  love  of  nature.  He  was  a  welcome  visitor  in 
any  camp  of  fishermen  or  hunters,  entering  heartily  into 
all  their  sports,  and  never  failing  in  such  an  intercourse 
with  friends  to  leave  the  impress  of  a  cheerful,  sunny,  glad, 
and  buoyant  faith,  which  sanctified  whatever  he  might 
meet,  and  threw  a  halo  over  hours  which  sometimes  are 
distained  by  rudeness  or  impurity.  At  the  risk  of  a 
slight  anticipation  of  the  narrative,  we  cannot  refrain 
from  adding  here  the  testimony  of  a  friend  and  brother 
minister,  the  Rev.  William  J.  Erdman  of  Chicago : 

My  memories  of  him  are  peculiarly  pleasant  and  delightsome.  We 
always  met  in  late  years  in  a  vacation  among  the  hills  and  streams,  until 
within  four  or  five  years  past;  and  between  enjoyment  of  nature  and  fel- 
lowship in  divine  experiences,  our  days  were  wont  to  pass  in  light  and 
peace  and  deep  mutual  joy. 

A  week  we  once  spent  among  the  hills  of  New  Hampshire  is  espe- 
cially dear  to  memory.  Other  men  might  be  remembered  for  some  tran- 
sient experiences  in  such  a  vacation  of  a  summer  week;  but  his  form 
and  cheery  laugh  and  springy  step  are  for  ever  associated  not  only  with 
wild  hills,  and  cold,  clear,  mountain  streams,  and  the  peaceful  meadows  of 
the  Connecticut,  but  far  more  with  deep  spiritual  discourse  on  diviner 
things,  and  the  great  unseen  world  he  now  has  entered.  Hereafter,  should 
I  again  revisit  those  scenes,  I  know  how  instinctively  I  shall  recall  his 
image  and  his  words.  An  unseen  form  will  move  through  light  and 
shade,  unspoken  words  will  sound  over  running  brooks  and  along  the  rude 
footpaths  and  sheepwalks  of  the  hills,  and  a  light  that  never  shone  on  land 
or  sea  will  illumine  all. 

I  speak  of  this,  because  at  such  times  of  freest  fellowship,  the  best 
and  brightest,  the  most  true  and  real,  comes  to  the  light;  and  I  can  say  of 
Charles  Payson,  I  loved  him.  His  self-denying  work,  continued  perse- 
veringly,  patiently  for  waiting  years,  found  in  me  at  least  an  appreciating 
admirer,  and  I  rm  glad  to  remember  how  I  always  spoke  of  him  to  others. 
And  while  writing  these  things  I  can  hardly  keep  back  my  tears,  for  no 
death  for  years  affects  me  so. 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  201 

These  testimonies  to  his  purity,  his  cheerfulness,  his 
love  of  nature,  and  his  trust  in  God,  are  witnesses  that 
Christian  principles  do  not  depress  or  sadden  human 
hearts,  nor  cast  a  gloom  upon  the  daily  life.  The  native 
charms  of  an  affable  and  sympathetic  nature,  sobered  by 
experience  and  disciplined  by  care,  are  none  the  less 
great  when  Christian  faith  and  love  and  glad  obedience 
to  God  have  thrown  their  grace  upon  the  character. 
Like  clambering  vines  in  autumn,  crimsoned  by  frosts 
and  glorified  by  age,  these  common  principles  of  Chris- 
tian life  make  yet  more  beautiful  what  God  in  providence 
or  nature  may  have  made  attractive  in  itself.  And 
though  it  would  not  be  denied  that  Mr.  Payson's  char- 
acter like  that  of  every  other  man  was  incomplete,  and 
unsymmetrical  in  parts,  and  certainly  not  "  perfect "  in 
the  ideal  sense,  it  is  no  less  a  truth  that  his  experience 
confirms  the  teaching  of  the  past  that  Christian  virtues 
give  an  added  beauty  to  a  character  which  in  its  native 
traits  is  fortunate. 

A  single  word  may  well  be  added  here  concerning  his 
free  and  generous  hospitality.  It  was  genuine.  No  one 
that  ever  stepped  within  his  door  and  sat  beside  his 
well-filled  board  could  think  himself  a  stranger  there 
again.  There  were  a  heartiness  and  a  spontaneity  about 
his  conduct  as  a  host  which  made  one  feel  at  home  with 
him  at  once;  and  every  resource  of  a  well-stored  mind 
and  heart,  as  well  as  every  comfort  of  the  pastor's  house, 
was  freely  placed  at  the  disposal  of  his  guests.  For 
more   than  one,  who   had  no  special   claims  upon    his 


202  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

thought  or  care,  the  cheerful  welcome  which  he  gave, 
and  the  kind  intent  which  breathed  through  all  his  con- 
duct towards  his  guests,  made  the  metropolis,  which 
otherwise  was  drear  and  cold  to  them,  a  resting-place. 
There  was  one  spot  at  least  amid  its  thronging  multi- 
tudes and  stony  streets,  where  kindliness  of  heart  and 
courtesy  and  glad  self-sacrifice  for  friends  had  thrown  the 
charms  of  their  attractiveness,  and  where  the  native  good- 
ness of  a  generous  man,  and  all  his  Christian  though tf ill- 
ness, had  made  the  atmosphere  of  home. 

His  cheerfulness  was  just  as  marked  a  feature  of  his 
social  life.  Here,  too,  it  was  enkindling.  It  "  melted 
the  ice  all  out  of  the  air."  It  dissipated  coldness  and 
formality.  It  made  the  scene  a  charming  one  for  those 
who  came  within  the  influence  of  his  words.  And  the 
secret  of  his  power  here,  which  was  certainly  far  more 
than  ordinary,  is  to  be  given  perhaps  in  the  word  per- 
sonal. His  social  life  was  personal.  He  had  no  faculty 
at  entertaining  a  whole  roomful  of  guests  at  once.  The 
grace  and  charm  which  have  distinguished  other  men  in 
such  a  sphere  of  influence  as  that,  he  did  not  have. 
But  there  was  something  engrossing  about  his  way  of 
conversing  with  a  friend  in  society,  so  that  for  the  time 
being  the  individual  with  whom  he  spoke  was  made  to 
feel  (what  was  most  true)  that  for  that  interview  at  least, 
Charles  Payson  was  thinking  and  living  for  him  alone. 

His  social  gifts  were  magnetic.  A  fine  enthusiasm 
pervaded  all  his  intercourse  with  men.  A  short  acquaint- 
ance with  him  would  suffice  to  show  that  he  had  carried 
Christian  principles  and  Christian  motives  of  action  into 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  203 

this  more  common  but  important  sphere  of  life.  A  stran- 
ger soon  discovered  that 

"'Twas  his  ambition,  generous  and  great, 
A  life  to  life's  great  end  to  consecrate ;" 

and  in  that  end  as  an  essential  past  he  placed  unselfish 
love  for  man,  which  sought  the  good  and  happiness  of 
all  he  met.  His  courtesy  was  real.  The  affectations  of 
society  he  despised.  He  hated  duplicity.  What  was 
merely  "polite"  but  insincere,  he  could  not  tolerate. 
With  all  the  indignant  scorn  of  an  honest  heart  he 
repudiated  what  society  too  often  is  quite  willing  to  en- 
dorse. But  what  was  generous  and  kind  and  true  was 
sure  to  find  a  ready  recognition  in  his  heart. 

"  With  a  fine  presence  and  engaging  manners,"  writes  a  friend,  a 
member  of  his  church,  "he  had  the  instincts  of  a  gentleman,  combined  with 
culture  and  refined  tastes.  Few  men  had  such  a  faculty  of  winning  the 
esteem,  confidence,  and  affection  of  others.  He  carried  a  full  heart  in  an 
open  hand.  That  soul  must  have  been  downcast  indeed  that  did  not  find 
itself  lightened  and  cheered  by  coming  into  contact  with  his  warm  and 
generous  nature.  He  was  peculiarly  the  friend  of  the  poor,  the  erring, 
and  the  sorrowing.  Many  influential  associations  brought  him  into  circles 
of  affluence  and  social  eminence,  but  his  great  joy  was  to  be  among  the 
poor,  and  to  go  about  like  his  Master  doing  good." 

His  fondness  for  society  was  as  great  as  his  faculty 
for  making  others  happy.  He  loved  to  be  among  his 
friends,  and  his  readiness  for  forming  new  friendships 
which  became  at  once  "a  part  and  parcel  of  his  life,"  and 
remained  a  constant  source  of  happiness,  was  quite  as 
marked  a  feature  of  his  character  as  the  constancy  with 
which  he  cherished  them.  A  few  days'  visit  at  Edin- 
burgh in  Scotland,  where  he  rested  from  his  journeying, 
sufficed  to  make  of   utter  strangers  there  some  of  the 


2o4  ALL  FOR  CLIRLST. 

warmest  friends  of  his  whole  life.  In  Montreal,  in  To- 
ronto, in  Glasgow,  in  Rome,  in  Cairo,  in  Damascus,  the 
interview  of  a  clay  or  two  with  Christian  friends  whom 
he  there  met  for  the  first  and  only  time,  endeared  him  to 
their  memories,  and  became  a  source  of  lasting  pleasure 
to  himself.  In  many  a  humble  home,  hidden  among  the 
hills  and  forests  of  our  own  land,  where  a  summer's  vaca- 
tion gave  him  intercourse  with  "  common  people,"  and 
rest  or  recreation  for  a  day,  his  name  is  remembered  still 
with  undisguised  affection.  Everywhere,  as  has  been 
said,  "he  carried  a  full  heart  in  an  open  hand."  His 
nature  was  transparent,  and  being  pure  and  wholesome 
and  affectionate,  attracted  men  to  love  and  honor  him. 

The  broad  catholicity  of  spirit  which  tempered  his 
public  life  should  not  be  overlooked  in  any  estimate  of 
his  character.  He  worked  for  men  as  men.  He  was  a 
philanthropist  in  the  grandest  sense  of  that  word — a 
Christian  philanthropist.  He  loved  all  those  who  loved 
his  Saviour's  name  or  sought  his  Saviour's  grace  with  a 
peculiar  affection  ;  but  he  sought  the  good  of  every  one 
he  met  with  an  honesty  and  directness  of  purpose  which 
no  man  could  deny.  During  the  protracted  meetings  at 
the  Hippodrome,  held  in  1 875  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
Moody,  he  labored  with  an  assiduity  and  devotion  which 
were  remarkable ;  and  several  cases  of  peculiar  difficulty 
among  the  inquirers — such  as  reformed  inebriates — were 
intrusted  to  his  special  care.  Strangers  were  attracted 
towards  him  by  the  kindliness  of  his  manner  and  by  his 
just  consideration  of  the  views  of  others  who  differed 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  205 

from  him ;  while  his  "  energetic  and  often  ardent  way  of 
presenting  his  own  views  upon  any  subject  which  he 
considered  vital,"  impressed  all  those  who  heard  him 
with  his  unmistakable  sincerity. 

One  of  the  members  of  his  church  thus  speaks  of  her 
experience : 

If  I  had  time  I  should  like  to  tell  you  what  he  did  for  me,  and  I  must 
tell  you  a  little.  After  having  been  prayed  and  labored  with  for  many 
years,  and  all  to  no  purpose,  except  to  make  me  more  stubborn  than  ever, 
if  possible,  I  happened  (?)  one  Sunday  evening  to  hear  him  at  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  I  had  never  seen  or  heard  of  him  before, 
but  he  made  such  an  impression  upon  me  that  I  felt  that  I  must  see  him 
and  talk  with  him  and  ask  him  "what  I  should  do  to  be  saved."  .... 
Consequently  the  next  day  I  found  his  address  in  the  Directory,  and  called 
upon  him.  I  need  not  tell  you  how  kindly  he  received  me,  nor  can  I  tell 
you  what  he  did  for  me,  save  that,  humanly  speaking,  I  feel  that  I  owe 
my  conversion  to  him.  .  .  .  After  this  I  took  a  class  in  the  Sunday-school, 
and  generally  remained  to  the  morning  service,  which  I  enjoyed  very 
much. 

Another,  who  was  never  a  member  of  his  church  nor 
in  any  way  connected  with  his  work,  writes  from  Italy, 
after  receiving  the  news  of  his  decease,  as  follows  : 

Ever  since  I  first  knew  Mr.  Payson,  I  felt  I  could  talk  with  him  as  I 
never  have  been  able  to  do  with  my  own  pastor,  and  so  I  used  often  and 
often  to  speak  to  him  as  my  pastor,  for  he  had  made  plain  to  me  some 
dark  places;  and  that  winter  when  I  was  sick  in  New  York  he  did  more 
to  help  me  to  be  patient  than  any  other  friend.  The  memory  of  those 
visits  to  my  room  are  very  precious,  when,  from  his  own  nearness  to  the 
Saviour,  he  made  me  almost  to  feel  the  presence  of  Jesus  in  my  sick- 
room, and  I  used  to  think,  after  one  of  these  visits,  that  I  bad  been  on 
holy  ground. 

Speaking  of  his  success  in  the  work  to  which  he  gave 
his  life,  a  brother  minister  writes  to  "  The  Evangelist" : 

The  secret  of  it  is  not  hard  to  find  ;  it  was  the  enthusiastic  devotion 
of  his  whole  being  to  the  field  where  the  Master  had  placed  him,  and  his 

18 


2o6  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

implicit  reliance  upon  the  presence  and  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
same  characteristic  that  fitted  him  so  well  for  the  special  work  in  which 
he  was  engaged  greatly  endeared  him  to  all  who  knew  him. 

Charles  Payson  was  as  honest,  as  truthful,  as  transparent,  as  it  is  pos- 
sible for  a  man  to  be.  He  never  reached  his  ends  by  side  movements,  by 
concealment,  by  finesse.  Every  one  might  freely  know  just  what  he  thought 
upon  any  subject,  and  exactly  what  he  wished  to  do.  He  did  not  hesitate 
to  lay  bare  his  heart,  and  he  never  dreamed  that  such  frankness  could  give 
offence,  and  it  very  rarely  did. 

He  was  a  very  enthusiastic,  and  at  times  impulsive  man.  This  gave 
him  force  at  all  times  and  in  every  undertaking.  He  gave  himself  wholly 
to  everything  that  he  had  to  do.  It  was  remarked  by  a  friend,  at  his  fune- 
ral, that  he  made  less  distinction  than  most  men  between  great  things  and 
little.     Nothing  to  him  was  a  little  thing  if  it  was  in  the  line  of  duty. . . . 

Above  all,  it  is  to  be  said  that  every  power  of  mind,  body,  and  soul, 
was  consecrated  to  the  service  of  the  Master.  The  grand  characteristic 
of  his  life  was  his  personal  piety.  Every  question  was  looked  at  with  ref- 
erence to  his  duty  as  a  servant  of  God.  In  conversation  this  thought  was 
always  manifest;  in  debate  the  subject  was  considered  with  reference  to 
its  bearings  upon  personal  duty ;  in  his  public  addresses  there  was  always 
the  same  earnest  enforcement  of  complete  submission  to  the  will  of  God. 
It  was  this  characteristic  that  gave  him  personal  influence  with  all  his  com- 
panions, that  explained  the  power"  of  his  preaching,  and  that  made  his 
own  life  peaceful  and  happy.  It  was  this  same  complete  submission  to 
God's  will,  and  unquestioning  faith  in  the  Divine  love,  that  took  away  all 
fear  of  death,  and  enabled  him  with  perfect  confidence  to  leave  his  people 
whom  he  loved,  and  the  family  that  clung  to  him,  to  the  care  of  Him  who 
doeth  all  things  well. 

Another  friend,  a  member  of  his  church,  says  :  He  believed  that  "  the 
Gospel  should  be  preached  to  the  poor,"  and  to  this  end  he  did  not  shrink 
from  any  labor.  The  visiting  among  them  he  did  not  delegate  to  others ; 
he  went  among  them  himself,  visiting  in  their  humble  and  wretched  homes, 
and  carrying  the  light  of  his  own  beaming  presence  into  many  dark  places. 
For  twenty  years  he  had  made  the  subject  of  City  Missions  his  earnest 
study,  and  had  become  so  familiar  with  all  its  aspects  that  hardly  any  de- 
tail escaped  his  notice.  Hence  his  counsels  in  Session  and  Presbytery 
were  always  valuable.  In  his  speech  and  in  his  action  he  had  almost  a 
boyish  enthusiasm.  This,  however,  was  balanced  by  such  solid  and  dis- 
creet judgment,  that  his  opinion  carried  weight  with  men  much  older  than 
himself.  In  discussion  he  proved  a  man  of  positive  convictions,  yet  stu- 
diously tolerant  and  even  tender  towards  brethren  whose  opinions  con- 
strained  dissent. 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  207 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Street,  formerly  of  this  city,  in  a 
letter  to  his  brother,  dated  January  25,  1877,  pays  the 
following  tribute  of  affection  to  his  memory : 

In  my  ministry  of  over  thirty  years  I  can  scarcely  recall  an  acquaint- 
ance whose  memory  is  so  full  of  pleasure  and  profit  to  me  as  his.  He 
was  so  pure,  so  strong  in  Christian  qualities,  and  so  simple-minded.  He 
had  a  wonderful  comprehension  of  the  Scriptures.  He  would,  as  by  intu- 
ition, strike  the  very  heart  of  its  meaning.  I  have  had  from  him  some 
remarkable  revelations  of  beauty  and  power  in  his  impromptu  exegeses 
which  I  shall  never  forget.  They  were  the  result  of  that  good  common 
sense  which  strongly  characterized  the  whole  man.  He  always  touched 
the  spiritual  key,  opening  up  rich  harmonies  of  divine  tenderness.  He 
not  only  loved,  but  venerated  the  word  of  God.  He  never  questioned  the 
possibility  of  inspiration.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  "  sounded  all  through 
his  studies  of  the  Book.     It  was  God  speaking  to  his  inmost  soul. 

I  said  he  was  simple-minded.  He  was  a  child  in  this  regard — a  child 
in  full  companionship  with  his  Father.  His  faith  was  absolute.  No  one 
could  hear  him  pray  without  feeling  that  he  was  wholly  absorbed  with  the 
presence  of  God.  His  prayers  reminded  me  of  the  pleading  of  Abraham 
in  behalf  of  Sodom.  They  were  familiar  without  being  irreverent,  confi- 
dent without  presumption.  His  earnestness  was  specially  marked  when 
ho  bore  upon  his  heart  the  church  of  which  he  was  pastor,  which  he  so 
dearly  loved,  and  of  which  he  was  so  justly  proud.  Many  times  have  I 
bowed  with  him  in  the  little  room  adjoining  his  chapel  in  Third  avenue, 
and  felt  that  his  faith  was  literally  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen  as  yet, 
while  he  poured  forth  his  soul  in  yearning  for  his  precious  flock.  .  .  . 

In  giving  he  was  generous  to  a  fault.  In  working  he  was  untiring. 
In  preaching,  in  revival  and  Sabbath-school  labor,  in  the  Temperance  and 
other  reforms,  he  threw  his  whole  force,  and  in  everything  he  was  manly. 
In  the  pulpit  and  out  of  it  he  never  lost  his  manhood.  His  splendid  phy- 
sique was  typical  of  his  character.  He  utterly  despised  the  conventional 
effeminacy  of  the  pulpit.  Broad,  liberal,  decided  in  his  Christian  views, 
he  expressed  them  clearly,  fearlessly,  and  manfully.  His  sincerity,  his 
honesty,  his  entire  consecration  to  his  work,  the  evident  purity  and  nobil- 
ity of  his  purpose,  gave  him  a  hold  upon  all  who  knew  and  heard  him 
that  never  relaxed. 

I  write  these  words  to  you,  my  dear  brother,  from  my  honest  convic- 
tion of  his  worth  and  from  the  warm  love  I  bore  him.  If  Charles  had 
been  permitted  to  live  I  believe  he  would  have  attained  the  highest  posi- 
tion of  responsibility  and  usefulness  within  the  gift  of  the  church,  for  he 
had  in  his  character  all  the  elements  of  the  grandest  results. 


2o8  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

The  following  appreciative  words  are  from  a  member 
of  the  Memorial  chapel : 

Although  my  infirmity  of  hearing  denied  me  the  privilege  of  listening 
to  Mr.  Payson  on  the  Sabbath,  I  have  had,  through  weekly  reports  of 
members  of  my  family,  a  good  account  both  of  the  manner  and  matter  of 
his  discourses.  I  always  had  the  conviction  that  he  wielded  no  little  power 
in  the  pulpit.  His  manner  was  reverential,  highly  nervous,  and  often  im- 
passioned. His  style  was  lucid  and  familiar,  and  no  one  ever  thought  him 
perfunctory  in  the  pulpit,  or  indeed  elsewhere.  Sometimes  there  were 
flashes  of  irony  or  sarcasm,  which,  although  not  inconsistent  with  a  proper 
humility  and  warm  affections,  might,  I  feared,  give  a  stranger  reason  to 
think  him  less  amiable  than  every  one  else  knew  him  to  be.  He  was  a 
diligent  student  of  the  Word,  and  unfolded  its  truths  in  the  spirit  of  one 
who  had  himself  been  taught  by  the  Great  Teacher,  and  held  a  great  com- 
mission from  his  Master.  He  attached  little  importance  to  those  aspects 
of  truth  which  are  non-essential  to  salvation  and  Christian  culture,  and 
which  only  remotely  touch  Christian  obligation.  Whatever  value  such 
truths  may  have  in  the  schools,  he  deemed  the  discussion  of  them  unsuit- 
able for  his  people.  Hence,  when  he  saw  the  impenitent  and  ignorant 
perishing  around  him,  he  had  no  time  or  taste  for  the  subtleties  of  the- 
ology. 

I  well  remember  once  asking  him  if  he  had  read  a  work  of  a  polem- 
ical character  which  had  interested  me,  and  seemed  an  important  treatise 
for  both  ministers  and  laymen.  The  terms  of  his  reply  I  cannot  recall, 
but  I  shall  not  forget  the  spirit  in  which  he  deprecated  the  controversies 
which,  in  his  judgment,  promised  no  good  results,  fomented  strife  among 
brethren  of  a  common  faith  and  hope,  and  paralyzed  Christian  labors.  .  .  . 
He  ever  felt,  what  Paul  taught  the  Corinthians,  that  "knowledge,"  of  a 
certain  kind  "puffeth  up,"  but  Christian  "charity"  or  love  "buildeth  up;" 
that,  "  intellectually,  we  can  know  little  of  God,  and  that  Christian  knowl- 
edge is  this  :  to  know  by  love."  He  felt,  in  all  the  intensity  of  his  large 
emotional  nature,  that  he  must  preach  Christ,  the  wisdom  of  God — through 
his  atoning  death,  our  righteousness;  through  his  Spirit,  our  sanctifier; 
and  in  his  spotless  example,  our  model.  And  so  our  pastor  handled  the 
word  of  God,  and  preached  to  every  man's  conscience,  as  one  who  had  felt 
in  his  own  soul  its  power  and  grace. 

I  suppose  few  pastors  ever  had  the  wonderful  versatility  of  gifts  which 
in  the  last  century  were  conferred  on  John  F.  Oberlin,  and,  together  with 
rare  Christian  graces,  were  all  consecrated  to  the  instruction  and  guidance 
of  that  little  flock  near  Strasburg.  His  life  and  labors  among  the  humble 
peasantry  not  only  made  the  hamlet  of  Waldback  famous,  but  have  made 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  209 

his  name  the  theme  of  admiration  and  delight  in  far  distant  lands.  Our 
pastor  had  so  much  healthy  common  sense,  and  such  a  fund  of  resources 
at  command  for  the  benefit  of  those  Mr.  Lincoln  termed  "plain  people," 
that  I  have  often  thought  of  Oberlin  when  observing  how  easily  his  flexi- 
ble character  and  faculties  could  meet  their  various  wants.  It  would  be 
untrue  or  extravagant  to  say  that  he  had  Oberlin's  almost  intuitive  knowl- 
edge about  education,  medicine,  and  surgery,  the  construction  of  good 
highways  and  strong  bridges,  the  processes  of  agriculture,  and  of  almost 
all  secular  business,  which  made  him  so  invaluable  as  adviser  and  helper ; 
but  I  am  convinced  that  the  same  circumstances  and  exigencies  would 
have  developed  in  Mr.  Payson  in  large  degree  the  same  executive  powers 
and  fitness  as  a  leader  for  the  masses.  He  seemed  always  to  have  what  I 
must  term  the  knack  of  being  helpful  to  poor,  distressed,  and  discouraged 
people,  in  just  the  times  when  assistance  was  most  needed,  and  in  the 
ways  where  it  was  most  valuable.  In  our  own  chapel  his  brain  was  ever 
teeming  with  plans  for  their  relief  and  support ;  and  all  were  so  wholesome 
and  practical,  resulting  from  a  fertile  common  sense  and  sound  judgment, 
that  the  manhood  and  self-respect  of  beneficiaries  were  guarded  and  en- 
couraged, and  almost  never  forfeited.  His  whole  nature  seemed  a  foun- 
tain of  active  kindness,  bubbling  up  and  running  over  in  quick,  warm,  and 
active  sympathies  for  dependent  and  suffering  humanity.  It  seemed 
almost  a  conviction  with  him  that  he  must  endure  in  his  own  life  and  ex- 
perience every  circumstance  of  privation,  discomfort,  and  sorrow  which 
befell  this  flock  of  Christ  over  which  he  was  the  under-shepherd.  No 
ease  or  self-indulgence  stood  in  the  way  of  his  taking  inventory  of  their 
material  and  spiritual  wants.  These  known,  "  he  remembered  the  forgot- 
ten;" he  visited  and  relieved  the  widow  and  fatherless  ;  his  cheery  tones 
made  a  cordial  for  the  despondent ;  he  hastened  to  counsel  and  bring 
back  the  erring  one,  to  pray  with  the  sick,  to  clear  the  way  of  obstacles 
from  before  the  weak,  and  to  lift  up  those  who  but  for  his  kind  sympathy 
had  despaired  of  help  from  themselves,  from  others,  or  from  God. . . .  He 
knew  in  a  measure  unknown  to  most  of  Christ's  professed  followers  the 
burden  which  weighed  down  One  of  whom  the  prophetic  historian  wrote, 
"  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs  and  carried  our  sorrows  ;"  and  this  great 
burden  he  assumed  and  carried  bravely,  resolutely,  even  joyfully,  through 
the  constraining  love  of  his  Master.* 

I  well  remember  my  first  interview  with  him,  in  1862.     He  then  im- 
pressed me  as  having,  with  a  becoming  clerical  dignity,  a  most  genial  and 

*  His  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  church  was  shown  by  the  fact  that  out  of  a 
total  membership  of  nearly  700,  he  knew  where  all  but  four  could  be  found,  and  what 
their  new  relations  were  if  they  had  changed  their  residence.  He  was  greatly  indebted 
in  this  matter  to  the  invaluable  aid  of  his  associates  in  Christian  work. 


2io  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

amiable  temper,  and  he  seemed  at  that  time,  as  he  ever  afterward  proved 
to  be,  the  most  accessible  of  men.  His  fine  magnetism  was  electric,  and 
operated  stronger  than  argument  in  making  him  at  once  attractive  and 
never  repellent.  Very  soon  after  an  introduction  one  felt  that  he  had 
made  a  personal  friend  in  Mr.  Payson's  acquaintance — that  the  good  man 
was  interested  in  him,  although  a  stranger.  He  soon  learned  that  he  was 
a  true  man,  and,  without  cant  or  ostentation,  an  advanced  Christian,  and 
that  the  name,  person,  and  work  of  Christ  were  engaging  themes,  stirring 
to  its  depths  a  heart  full  of  Christian  and  human  sympathies.  He  knew 
that  the  man  before  him  believed  life  to  be  real  and  earnest,  and  that  with 
heroic  ardor  he  was  sharing  its  labors  and  conflicts — a  man  who,  like 
Nehemiah,  was  doing  a  great  work,  and  could  not  come  down  to  the  trifles 
and  baubles  of  the  hour.  More  than  this,  he  evinced  by  word  or  manner, 
or  both,  that  he  earnestly  desired  that  his  visitor  should  be  engaged  in  the 
work  of  carrying  up  the  temple  of  God  in  his  own  heart,  and  in  restoring 
the  moral  wastes  around  him.  And  all  this  seemed  the  ordinary  life-work 
of  a  man  without  vainglory  or  hunger  for  applause,  or  the  consciousness 
of  doing  more  than  other  laborers  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  He  seemed 
conscious  only  of  remembering  and  obeying  the  injunction,  "  Whatsoever 
ye  do,  do  it  heartily  as  to  the  Lord."  .  .  . 

One  living  a  life  so  consecrated  to  God  and  Christ,  and  so  full  of  love 
for  man,  is  always  ready  for  death,  and  at  the  end  of  forty-five  years  has 
lived  long,  because  he  has  lived  to  make  existence  noble.  Our  pastor 
was  true  to  God  and  for  God.  His  life  was  spent  in  loving  loyal  service 
for  the  Master,  and  he  loved  his  race  with  a  breadth  and  ardor  that  proved 
that  he  felt  debtor  to  all  who  bore  the  name  of  man.  And  being  dead,  his 
works  do  follow  him. 

"  Thy  works  and  alms,  and  all  thy  good  endeavor, 
Stayed  not  behind,  nor  in  the  grave  were  trod, 
But  as  faith  pointed  with  her  golden  rod, 

Followed  thee  up  to  joy  and  bliss  for  ever."  A . 

It  need  hardly  be  added  that  the  influence  of  such  a 
man  upon  the  people  of  his  charge  was  very  great. 
They  loved  him,  To-day  they  mourn  for  him  as  for  a 
friend — a  personal  friend — in  many  cases  as  for  a  father 
or  a  brother.  His  whole  soul  had  gone  out  towards  them 
and  he  had  become  almost  identified  with  their  lives. 


PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS.  211 

"In  imitation  of  his  Master,"  as  has  been  truly  said,  "he 
aimost  literally  'himself  took  their  infirmities  and  bare 
their  sins.'  "  To  him  they  came  for  counsel  and  sympa- 
thy, not  only  in  spiritual  things,  but  in  temporal  anxieties 
and  fears.  Said  a  member  of  his  church,  as  she  spoke  of 
him  with  tears  running  down  her  cheeks,  "  For  ten  years 
I  have  gone  to  him  with  every  trouble !"  What  wonder 
that  he  was  tenderly  beloved  ? 

When  he  went  abroad  to  Palestine,  in  1873,  and  it 
was  discovered  just  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  that  he 
was  himself  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  journey  and 
also  of  supplying  the  pulpit  during  his  absence,  this  poor 
people,  who  were  compelled  as  a  rule  to  live  by  the  day, 
immediately  raised  $200  to  relieve  him  of  the  burden  of 
supply.  One  good  woman  on  whom  the  committee 
called — the  widowed  mother  of  a  large  family  of  children, 
all  of  whom  have  joined  this  church — was  just  leaving 
her  room  to  purchase  the  meat  for  dinner,  when  the 
question  was  asked,  "  Can  you  afford  to  give  us  anything 
to  help  supply  the  pulpit  while  Mr.  Payson  is  in  Pales- 
tine ?"  "  Yes,"  she  replied  at  once,  "  I  will  give  you  the 
fifty  cents  I  was  about  to  spend  for  dinner.  We  can  go 
without  our  meat  well  enough  if  it  will  only  help  to  raise 
this  sum."  And  it  may  be  added  that  $200  contributed 
in  this  way  measures  a  vast  amount  of  genuine  affection 
and  very  strong  attachment. 

It  was  said  by  the  members  of  the  delegation  that 
waited  upon  the  Chapel  Committee  of  the  parent  church 
in  1870,  when  Mr.  Payson's  resignation  was  accepted, 
that  so  great  was  their  love  for  him  that  fully  two-thirds, 


2i2  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

if  not  more,  of  the  people  would  have  followed  him  to 
another  church  if  he  had  been  compelled  to  leave. 

And  to-day  in  many  a  happy  home  whose  Christian 
principles  and  faithful  service  of  the  Lord  have  been  es- 
tablished by  his  life,  the  mention  of  his  name  will  bring 
the  instant  hush  of  sorrow;  and  the  softening  tone  and 
tearful  eyes  of  such  as  mourn  "in  hope  "  reveal  the  depth 
and  strength  and  genuine  worth  of  that  affection  which 
a  Christian  pastor  wins. 


THE  LAST  DA  1  rS.  2 1 3 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE  LAST  DAYS. 
"  '  Death  has  made  his  darkness  beautiful  with  thee.' 

"  Thinking  of  our  dear  brother  sleeping  sweetly  now 
and  dreamlessly  beneath  the  violet-sprinkled  sods  of 
spring,  the  sentence  quoted  above  seems  to  be  just  the 
one  to  describe  what  his  life  and  death  were  like.  .  .  God 
has  a  plan  for  every  one  of  us,  and  I  am  not  vain  enough 
to  imagine  that  I  know  better  than  He  what  is  best  for 
me,  or  what  was  best  for  that  dear  brother.  He  was 
needed  in  heaven  or  he  would  not  have  been  called  up 
there.  Perhaps  there  was  work  up  there  which  had  been 
waiting  for  him  from  his  earliest  days,  and  God  had  been 
preparing  him  all  these  forty-five  years  to  engage  in  that 
work. 

"  '  So  many  worlds  !  so  much  to  clo  ! 

How  know  I  what  had  need  of  thee  ? 

For  thou  wert  strong  as  thou  wert  true.' '' 

Such  were  the  thoughts  with  which  an  absent  sister 
endeavored  to  console  herself  and  others  in  view  of  the 
affliction  to  which  they  were  unexpectedly  called  by  the 
sudden  decease  of  Mr.  Payson.  His  work  was  ended  here 
abruptly,  in  the  full  prime  of  manhood  and  by  a  brief  and 
fatal  illness  which  no  physician's  skill  could  stay  ;  but  it 
is  continued  in  another  world  beyond,  as  we  have  reason 
to  believe,  almost  as  it  was  interrupted,  in  the  praise  and 


2i4  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

adoration  of  a  Saviour's  love.  Few  Christian  ministers 
even  have  been  privileged  to  say  with  greater  truth, 
"When  I  go  down  to  the  grave  I  can  say  like  many 
others,  '  I  have  finished  my  day's  work,'  but  I  cannot  say 
I  have  finished  my  life.  My  day's  work  will  begin  the 
next  morning.  The  grave  closes  on  the  twilight  to  open 
with  the  dawn."  In  a  letter  dated  Sept.  24,  1872,  Mr. 
Payson  writes: 

My  Dear  Brother  :  Here  we  are  high  up  on  the  hills  of  old  Lyme 

at  the  beautiful  home  of  Mrs.  E ,  in  sight  of  the  old  church  where 

father  preached  in  1838-40,  and  of  the  valley  where  I  went  to  school. 
There,  opposite,  are  Essex  and  Old  Saybrook,  and  the  lighthouse,  and  the 
Point  where  I  lived  so  many  other  weeks,  all  full  of  pleasant  memories 
that  come  trooping  across  my  mind  as  each  peculiar  scene  passes  before 
me.  As  I  look,  they  bring  to  my  mind  that  passage  in  Stanley's  Egypt 
where  he  tells  of  the  tombs  of  the  kings  with  their  many  chambers,  on 
whose  walls  are  pictured  the  mementoes  of  each  monarch's  life,  so  that 
when  he  wakes  he  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  the  scenes  in  which  he  lived. 

Will  it  not  be  one  of  the  joys  of  heaven  to  sweep  the  horizon  of 
memory,  and  pass  once  and  again  and  again  through  vistas  made  inex- 
pressibly beautiful  by  the  associations  of  life  ?  Oh  what  a  place  will  heav- 
en be,  with  all  that  is  lovely,  and  noble,  and  grand,  of  old  earth,  the  glory 
of  the  nations  brought  in  and  all  the  vile  and  bad  and  deceiving  left  out 
for  ever  and  ever  ! 

The  last  public  service  in  the  chapel  at  which  Mr. 
Payson  officiated  was  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Upon  the  evening  of  January  7,  1877,  he  gathered  his 
beloved  people  for  the  last  time  before  the  communion 
table  of  the  Lord,  and  there  spoke  to  them  of  the  Saviour's 
love  with  all  his  accustomed  fervor  and  pathos.  Neither 
he  nor  they  had  then  any  thought  of  the  sad  separation 
which  was  so  soon  to  follow,  and  they  now  recall  his 
words  on  that  occasion  with  peculiar  gratitude  that  in  the 
kind  providence  of  God  they  were  permitted  to  sit  down 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  215 

with  him  at  this  last  interview  in  "heavenly  places  in 
Christ  Jesus."  He  dwelt  upon  the  theme  of  the  Saviour's 
love  most  fondly,  in  his  own  warm,  earnest,  happy  way, 
pleading  tenderly  and  eloquently  for  the  blessed  Redeem- 
er, and  urging  the  acceptance  of  His  grace  by  souls 
unsaved. 

After  the  service,  as  was  his  custom,  he  kept  the  new 
communicants  for  a  little  while  and  addressed  to  them  a 
few  especial  words  in  view  of  their  new  relations  to  the 
church. 

Monday,  the  day  following,  was  the  first  of  the  Week 
of  Prayer,  an  anniversary  which  was  always  observed  at 
the  chapel  by  services  in  the  evening.  During  the  first 
part  of  the  day  Mr.  Payson  was  down  town  attending  to 
some  necessary  business,  and  appeared  to  be  as  well  as 
ever  until  early  in  the  afternoon,  when  he  complained  of 
a  sick  headache.  With  his  usual  determination,  however, 
he  put  this  aside,  and  went  down  to  the  evening  prayer- 
meeting,  when  he  spoke  upon  the  topic  for  Monday. 

Tuesday  morning  found  him  still  uncomfortable  with 
headache  and  pain,  and  that  afternoon  he  consulted  Dr. 
Andrew  H.  Smith,  who  lived  near  by,  and  whom  he 
greatly  esteemed  both  as  a  physician  and  a  friend.  No 
serious  cause  for  alarm  was  discovered  at  this  interview,  and 
some  simple  remedy  was  prescribed.  During  Tuesday 
night,  however,  he  suffered  extreme  pain,  so  that  the  physi- 
cian was  summoned  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  and  gave  him 
anodynes.  On  Wednesday,  Thursday,  and  Friday,  he  still 
suffered,  and,  as  there  appeared  no  immediate  prospect 
of  relief,  he  became  at  last  content  to  abandon  his  active 


2i5  ALL  TOR  CHRIST. 

labors  for  a  time,  and  to  bear  this  sickness  which  had 
been  laid  upon  him  so  unexpectedly  as  from  his  Father's 
hands.  Saturday  morning  the  disease  was  pronounced 
to  be  a  clear  case  of  pneumonia,  and  Dr.  Smith  re- 
quested that  the  family  physician,  Dr.  John  L.  Campbell, 
should  be  called  in  consultation,  having  given  very  strict 
orders  that  no  one  was  to  see  the  patient  but  those  who 
were  called  to  nurse  him,  and  that  all  exciting  topics 
were  to  be  avoided. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  disease  may  be  traced  to 
Mr.  Payson's  exposure  to  the  terrible  storm  of  Saturday, 
January  6,  although  his  health  for  several  months  pre- 
vious to  this  had  not  been  as  firm  and  vigorous  as  usual. 
He  was  greatly  favored  in  having  for  his  physicians  two 
personal  friends,  both  medical  men  of  high  standing  and 
long  experience  in  the  metropolis,  in  whose  skill  and 
judgment  he  had  the  utmost  confidence — Dr.  Campbell 
having  been  for  many  years  his  family  physician  ;  and  he 
remarked  during  his  illness  that  "  if  he  had  been  a  prince 
he  could  not  have  had  more  devoted  attention  or  untiring 
service." 

The  kind  thoughtfulness  of  his  many  friends  also  was 
a  great  source  of  comfort  to  him.  They  proved  most 
loving  and  faithful  and  devoted.  Every  day  and  almost 
every  hour  brought  him  some  new  assurance  of  their 
interest  and  sympathy.  Delicacies  for  the  sick-room, 
flowers  and  fruits,  and  all  the  little  gifts  which  affection 
prompts  loving  hearts  to  offer,  came  in  large  measure  to 
him  and  never  failed  to  give  him  pleasure. 

The  constant  inquiries  of  many  anxious  friends,  as 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  2 1 7 

soon  as  it  became  known  that  he  was  really  ill,  were 
remarkable ;  and  in  addition  to  those  made  at  the  house, 
word  was  sent  every  night  and  morning  to  the  sexton  of 
his  church  for  the  information  of  his  devoted  people.  His 
brethren  in  the  ministry  called  and  inquired  after  him, 
and  prayed  for  his  recovery,  if  it  might  please  the  Lord 
to  spare  his  life.  The  prayers  of  his  people,  and  of  all 
those  who  loved  him,  were  daily  offered  in  his  behalf; 
while  in  many  of  the  churches  of  the  city  and  its  vicinity 
he  was  publicly  remembered  upon  the  Sabbath.  Every- 
thing was  done  which  the  fondest  and  most  tender  affeo 
tion  could  devise ;  and  his  physicians  were  unremitting 
in  their  care.  Favored  by  a  naturally  strong  constitution 
and  a  vigorous  hold  upon  life,  it  did  seem  that  he  must  be 
spared  for  many  years  to  his  family  and  to  the  church. 

But  Providence  determined  otherwise.  Amid  the 
alternations  of  hope  and  fear,  with  sometimes  a  promise 
and  sometimes  a  threat,  his  friends  saw  the  dreadful 
progress  of  the  disease  continue  from  bad  to  worse.  On 
Sunday,  January  21st,  there  was  an  apparent  change Bfor 
the  better,  and  frequently  from  day  to  day  there  would 
appear  some  gleams  of  light.  But  upon  Monday,  January 
22d,  a  most  unfavorable  change  occurred,  and  on  Tuesday 
his  friends  were  filled  with  the  gravest  fears.  They  saw 
that  there  was  only  the  barest  possibility  of  his  recovery. 
Throughout  the  day  and  night  the  most  powerful  stimu- 
lants were  administered  once  every  hour ;  but  nothing 
availed  to  check  the  steady  progress  of  the  disease.  Early 
on  Wednesday  morning  his  wife  said  to  him,  while  busily 

engaged  in  making  him  more  comfortable,  "  You  have 

19 


218  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

been  very  brave  to  get  through  this  dreadful  night ;"  and 
he  replied,  "  I  am  not  through  yet,  dearest." 

The  physician  was  sent  for  at  daylight,  in  the  hope 
that  something  might  be  done  to  relieve  his  labored 
breathing,  and  a  quantity  of  pure  oxygen  gas  was  procured 
and  given  to  him  constantly  as  long  as  he  could  breathe. 
But  it  only  served  to  delay  the  event.  Nothing  could 
save  him  then.  He  died  very  peacefully  at  the  last, 
breathing  his  life  out  calmly  and  quietly,  as  though  he 
were  taking  rest  in  sleep,  and  with  an  utter  absence  of 
all  fear.  He  rose  once  and  again  to  struggle  with  the 
disease,  and  seek  to  regain  his  failing  breath  ;  but,  just  as 
an  expiring  flame  dies  almost  away,  then  rises  fitfully  and 
flashes  brightly  for  another  instant,  and  so,  surely  and 
steadily,  passes  away,  he  fell  asleep. 

"  What  did  we  ask,  with  all  our  love  for  him, 
But  just  a  little  breath  of  fuller  life 
To  float  the  laboring  lungs  ?     And  God  hath  given 
Him  life  itself — full,  everlasting  life  ! 
What  did  we  pray  for  ?     Rest,  even  for  a  night, 
That  he  might  rise  with  sleep's  most  golden  dews, 
Refreshed  to  feel  the  morning  in  his  soul ; 
And  God  hath  given  him  His  eternal  rest." 

From  the  very  commencement  of  his  illness  the  beauty 
and  brightness-  of  Mr.  Payson's  character  were  most  ap- 
parent. It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  be  with  him  in  the 
sick-room.  He  put  aside  all  care  and  earthly  anxieties, 
and  was  cheerful  and  composed  when  not  in  actual  pain  ; 
and  then  he  was  patient  and  fearful  of  troubling  others. 
During  the  first  few  days,  when  he  suffered  most,  his 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  219 

gentleness  and  patience  were  remarkable.  And  towards 
the  close  of  his  sickness,  when  the  loneliness  of  death, 
the  separation  from  friends  and  from  work  which  he 
dearly  loved,  and  the  desolation  and  need  of  his  family 
must  have  come  before  him  in  their  dreadfulness,  he  was 
sustained  and  cheered  by  a  constant  faith  in  God,  which 
enabled  him  to  leave  his  wife,  his  children,  and  the  church 
he  loved  so  much,  in  the  hands  of  Him  whose  changeless 
love  he  never  doubted  even  while  so  sick. 

As  might  have  been  expected  of  him,  he  could  not  rest 
content  without  holding  family  worship  each  day,  both 
morning  and  evening,  with  his  wife  and  as  many  others 
present  as  his  failing  strength  would  permit.  Frequent- 
ly he  called  one  of  his  brothers  to  the  bedside,  and  asked 
that  he  would  kneel  and  pray  with  him  that  God  would  be 
pleased  to  bless  the  medicine  used,  and  to  insure  his  re- 
covery, if  it  were  His  will.  It  was  most  affecting  to  those 
who  were  with  him  upon  the  last  day,  to  notice  how  his 
faith  reached  down  to  common  things.  The  powerful 
stimulant*  which  he  was  obliged  to  take  on  Tuesday  night 
was  very  distasteful  to  him,  as  brandy  always  had  been, 
and  he  only  consented  to  take  it  as  a  prescription  of  the 
doctor.  But  his  faith  in  the  power  of  prayer  was  shown 
in  the  unaffected  earnestness  with  which  he  asked  his 
brother  to  kneel  and  pray  that  God  would  bless  this  stim- 
ulant to  his  recovery ;  and  again,  when  the  next  time  came 
for  taking  it,  said,  "  I  think  that  our  prayer  the  last  time 
helped  us  a  great  deal ;  wont  you  ask  the  Lord  to  bless 
us  again  ?" 

*  A  mixture  of  brandy  and  ammonia. 


sac  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

He  fid  not  lose  hope  ::  life  until  aver  time 

e  he  died.      Indeed,  he  did  not  seem  to  consil.r  it 
likely  that  he  would  die,  until  the  physician  plaint] 
him  so  at  eleven  o'clock  on  Wednesday.     Then  he 
■  I  cannot  understand  it      It  does  not  s  sem  passable       I 
cannot  think  my        _k  is  done.     One  word  from 

.11  still  live  on  and  work  for  him.''  And  then 
ied  his  brothers  to  pray  for  him,  that  if  i: 
Lord's  will  he  might  be  spared  and  permitted  to  labor 
longer  for  the  church  on  earth.  He  was  a  strong  man 
stricken  down  in  the  very  prime  of  life,  and  seemed  to 
cling  to  life  just  as  was  natural ;  and  he  e" 
ished  a  very  great  attachment  for  fa  Repei 

during  that  Jay  he  asked  that  if  it  was  the  Lord's 
he  might  be  spared  to  labor  oo      But  there  was  not  the 
slightest  suggestion  in  any  tone  or  look  of  anything  like 
a    rebeHk  a  s   d  r  uncheerf ul  spirit  in   submitting  to  the 
Father  s     lD 

He  felt  bo  fear  a  ::'  the  ratnre,  bat  was  ena- 

bled  peacd  trust  his  family,  his  little  chi".  L i : 

dearly-tewed   church  and  -  -   scul  in  the  5a 

hands.     Once  he  said  thai  -   faith  that  he  had 

preached  and  that  he  loved,  in  that  faith  he  could 
[t  was  triumphant      There  was  no  exultant  c 

:  intoxic;-      ■    :  notions  such  is  dreams  cr 
ions  might  bring;  there  -was  no  parade  of  faith.     But 
there  zc^as  victory,  and  death  was  no  more  to  him 

He  left  the  dearest  trea  mat  he  had  on  earth 

— his  wife,  "---is  children,  and  his  church — in  the  har. 
a  covenant-keeping  God,  as  quietly  and  with  as  evident 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  221 

satisfaction  as  though  he  had  seen  Him  and  heard  Him 
say,  "  I  will  provide  for  them  now."  There  was  no  dread 
or  doubt — not  the  slightest  trace  of  either  of  them  in  all 
that  he  said.  With  an  unclouded  intellect  and  a  perfectly 
clear  understanding  of  what  his  danger  was,  his  faith  was 
firm  and  constant  to  the  very  end ;  and  he  fell  asleep  at 
last  as  fearlessly  as  though  it  were  no  other  than  the 
daily  rest  from  toil  of  which  he  knew  the  end — refresh- 
ment, strength,  and  new,  fresh  life. 

When  his  wife  brought  the  children  to  his  bedside 
early  on  Wednesday  morning,  he  spoke  to  them  each  at 
length,  with  broken  words  and  sentences,  as  his  breath 
was  failing  him,  but  most  impressively.  It  would  be  sac- 
rilege to  repeat  the  words  he  uttered  to  her  and  to  them 
at  such  an  hour  ;  but  none  that  heard  them  can  ever  for- 
get the  fervor  with  which  he  commended  them  one  and 
all  to  the  love  of  God,  invoked  His  special  blessing  on 
their  lives,  exhorted  them  one  by  one  to  a  loving,  faithful 
service  of  His  will,  and  assured  them  that  "  to  live  near 
Christ  was  the  only  true  happiness  ;"  while  with  a  pathos 
none  of  his  children  can  recall  without  a  tear,  he  added, 
"And  as  you  have  loved  your  father,  remember  these 
words."  When  the  baby  was  brought  wonderingly  to  his 
side,  he  said,  "  Let  me  kiss  the  darling !"  and  then,  as  he 
clasped  her  in  his  arms,  he  added,  "How  can  she  do 
without  her  father  ?     But  God  knows  best." 

Not  long  after  this  he  said  to  his  wife  and  friends 
that  "it  was  his  desire  to  do  the  will  of  the  Master, 
wherever  it  might  lead."  He  sent  the  most  affectionate 
assurances  of  regard  to  the  father  and  mother  of  his  wife 


222  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

begging  her  to  thank  them  for  all  their  kindness,  and 
said  that  "  he  wished  to  bear  testimony  that  he  had  found 
among  Episcopalians  as  warm  and  earnest  Christians  as 
any  in  his  own  church." 

To  his  absent  sister,  a  missionary,  he  sent,  as  his 

parting  message,  "  Tell  my  dear  sister  D that  I  had 

hoped  to  live  and  see  her  here  again.  Tell  her,  that 
when  she  comes  to  die  she  will  feel  that  her  work  is 
deathless." 

After  sending  affectionate  messages  to  all  his  imme- 
diate friends  and  relatives  who  were  not  present,  he  said 
with  extraordinary  emphasis,  as  though  he  could  not  for- 
get his  absent  church  and  his  life-work,  "  And  to  all 
else  I  say,  Cling  close  to  Jesus." 

Frequently  during  his  illness  he  desired  Mrs.  Payson 
to  read  his  favorite  chapters,  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth, 
and  sixteenth  of  St.  John  ;  and  it  comforted  and  rested 
him  not  a  little  to  have  her  pray  with  him.  When  wea- 
ried out  with  pain,  he  was  oftentimes  relieved  and  re- 
freshed by  her  reading  an  old  familiar  hymn,  such  as 
"  Rock  of  Ages  ;"  and  for  any  such  little  attention  or 
kindness  in  the  sick-room  he  was  most  touchingly  grate- 
ful.    It  was  a  very  great  pleasure  to  be  with  him  there. 

He  was  deeply  interested  in  the  "  Life  of  Norman 
McLeod,"  which  had  been  given  him  at  Christmas,  and 
oftentimes  would  have  a  little  of  it  read  aloud  when,  in 
the  early  stages  of  his  illness,  he  wished  to  sleep  or  to 
rest. 

"His  was  a  kindred  spirit,"  writes  one  of  his  friends,  "in  his  ardent 
love  of  nature  and  all  beautiful  things,  in  his  patriotism,  his  catholicity  of 


THE  LAST  DA  YS.  22.3 

spirit,  his  energetic,  ardent  way  of  presenting  his  views  on  any  subject 
which  he  considered  vital,  and  in  his  devotion  to  the  common  people." 

Upon  the  last  day  of  his  life  his  friends  who  were 
present  sang  to  him  (when  their  feelings  would  permit 
them  to  do  so)  his  favorite  hymns.  He  asked  to  have 
them  sing,  "I  need  Thee  every  hour,"  and  endeavored 
himself  to  join  them  in  it,  but  his  labored  breathing 
would  not  permit  him  to  sing  more  than  a  word  or  two 
at  a  time.  "We  are  on  our  journey  home,"  "  How  firm 
a  foundation,"  and  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  seemed  very  grate- 
ful to  him,  and  at  times  his  expressive  face  responded  to 
them  with  a  glad,  bright  look  which  told  how  much  he 
rested  in  their  comfortable  truths.  One  of  his  brothers 
attempted  to  repeat  the  hymn  which  was  a  favorite  of 
their  mother's,  "  For  ever  with  the  Lord  ;"  but  his  voice 
faltered  before  he  reached  the  end,  and  he  was  compelled 
to  stop.  Mr.  Payson  then  took  it  up  and  with  broken 
utterance  and  most  fervent  emphasis  continued  : 

"  Knowing  as  I  am  known, 

How  shall  I  love  that  word, 
And  oft  repeat  before  the  throne, 
'  For  ever  with  the  Lord.' " 

Once  he  said  "Brighter"  with  great  earnestness. 
Again,  not  very  long  before  he  ceased  speaking,  and 
after  the  doctor  had  told  him  plainly  that  he  could  not 
recover,  he  said,  "  It  seems  strange  that  perhaps  before 
night  I  may  see  father  and  mother  and  Jesus." 

To  a  very  kind  and  much  valued  friend  who  stood  by 
his  side  he  said,  "  I  suppose  the  Lord  saw  that  my  work 
was  done."     And  at  another  time,  after  seeming  to  be 


224  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

lost  in  deep  reverie  for  some  moments,  he  leaned  quickly- 
forward  and  said  very  distinctly  and  earnestly,  "  Thy  will 
be  done,  Thy  will  be  done.     Amen  and  Amen." 

About  twelve  o'clock  he   ceased   speaking,  though 

once  when  his  wife  asked  him,   "  Dear  C ,  is  the 

Lord  Jesus  near  you  ?"  he  answered  by  a  movement  of 
his  head,  and  again  not  long  after  seemed  to  hear  what 
was  said,  though  he  did  not  respond.  But  within  a  brief 
half  hour  he  had  gone  beyond  the  reach  of  human 
voices,  and  remained  unconscious  till  about  three  min- 
utes after  one  o'clock,  when  with  two  or  three  deep 
breaths  he  passed  away.  And  so  he  rests  in  Jesus,  for 
evermore  at  peace,  full  of  joy  and  holiness,  free  for  ever- 
more from  all  infirmity  or  hindrance  in  serving  the  Lord 
with  perfect  liberty. 

"It  was  deeply  touching  to  me,"  writes  one  of  his  brothers,  "to  hear 
him  once  refer  to  himself  in  a  prayer  he  offered,  half  audibly.  I  was 
standing  near  his  bed  and  partly  bending  over  him  while  arranging  some 
medicines  by  his  side,  when  I  overheard  him  say  in  this  half  whisper, 
'Lord  Jesus,  thou  knowest  all  my  great  infirmities,  but  thou  wilt  keep  me 
thine.' " 

Such  was  the  end.  And  as  we  follow  him  in  our 
thoughts  away  may  we  not  hear  the  angelic  interpreter 
saying  of  that  "  great  multitude  which  no  man  could 
number,"  "  These  are  they  which  ....  have  washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve 
him  day  and  night  in  his  temple :  and  He  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them.  They  shall  hunger 
no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more,  neither  shall  the  sun 
light  on  them,  nor  any  heat.     For  the  Lamb  which  is  in 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  225 

the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead 
them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters :  and  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes." 

"The  fond  parents  and  their  dutiful  son!"  exclaimed  his  sister  in  a 
letter  written  not  long  after — "what  a  joyful  meeting  theirs  must  have 
been !  Now  for  ever  united,  how  must  the  three  rejoice  together  and 
praise  God  as  never  before  for  all  the  way  along  which  he  has  led  them ! 

"This  recalls  to  my  mind,"  she  adds,  "the  last  words  father  ever 
wrote  me:  'How  exhilarating  and  transporting  the  forethought  that  (as 
we  have  often  prayed)  we  as  an  entire  family  shall  at  last  gather  around 
the  throne.'  May  it  not  be  that  they  will  have  '  morning  and  evening 
prayers' together,  or  some  such  united  service,  when  they  wSl  pray  in  be- 
half of  us  who  are  left  to  struggle  on  below  ? 

"  '  At  one  dear  knee  we  proffered  vows, 

One  lesson  from  one  Book  we  learned 
Ere  childhood's  flaxen  ringlets  turned 
To  black  and  brown  on  kindred  brows. 

"  '  The  face  will  shine 
Upon  me  while  I  muse  alone, 
And  that  dear  voice  I  once  have  known 
Still  speak  to  me  of  me  and  mine. 

"  '  Known  and  unknown,  human,  divine, 
Sweet  human  hand  and  lips  and  eye, 
Dear  heavenly  friend  that  canst  not  die, 
Mine,  mine  for  ever,  ever  mine. 

"  '  Far  off  thou  art,  but  ever  nigh  ; 
I  have  thee  still  and  I  rejoice; 
I  prosper  circled  with  thy  voice ; 
I  shall  not  lose  thee  though  I  die.'  " 

Mr.  Payson's  directions  were  that  the  funeral  should 
be  from  his  own  church  among  those  who  loved  him  and 
cherished  his  memory ;  and  he  wished  that  everything 
should  be  as  plain  and  inexpensive  as  possible,  as  was 
befitting  one  whose  example  was  uniformly  consistent 
with  his  teaching. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  loss  of  such  a  man 
was  keenly  felt  and  tenderly  lamented  not  only  by  the 


226  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

larjre  con^resration  to  whom  he  had  ministered  for  so 
many  years,  but  throughout  the  church  and  city,  and 
especially  in  the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  of  which  he 
was  an  efficient  and  active  member.  Letters  of  sympa- 
thy, containing  many  expressions  of  personal  bereave- 
ment as  well  as  of  condolence,  were  received  by  Mrs. 
Payson  and  her  family  from  a  very  large  circle  of  friends, 
from  not  a  few  churches  and  public  organizations  in  the 
vicinity,  and  from  every  religious  society  with  which  Mr. 
Payson  had  been  connected.*     One  friend  writes  : 

We  all  loved  him ;  and  as  my  mind  reverts  to  the  scenes  of  the  last 
sixteen  years  in  which  he  was  an  actor,  his  presence  lends  a  light  pecu- 
liarly his  own — whether  it  was  in  religious  service  or  in  games  in  our 
hours  of  recreation,  he  was  the  same  enthusiastic  man,  the  same  cour- 
teous Christian  gentleman.  Ah,  our  human  loves  have  suffered  a  sad 
loss ;  but  he  is  our  friend  still,  and  is  now  a  new  link  to  bind  us  to  the 

heavenly  and  better  world I  saw  many  weeping  women  stoop  down 

to  kiss  the  marble  brow  at  his  funeral ;  and  well  might  they  weep,  for  in 
their  pastor  they  had  lost  their  best  earthly  friend.  Few  men  could  have 
died  in  New  York  at  whose  funeral  so  many  tears  would  have  been  shed. 

Says  another :  lie  was  such  a  grand  man,  so  good,  so  true,  so  manlv, 
yet  as  simple-hearted  as  a  little  child.  I  knew  of  no  one  whose  society 
did  me  so  much  good,  who  I  feel  was  living  so  completely  for  God  and 
His  church.  Many  sweet  hours  have  we  spent  together,  many  times  on 
bended  knees  gone  to  the  throne  together.  I  can  never  forget  the  fer- 
vency of  his  prayers,  and  the  wonderful,  faith-full,  heart-trust  he  had  in 
God's  promises.  If  ever  there  was  a  soul  ripe  for  heaven  it  was  his.  Yet 
it  seems  hard  that  he  should  be  taken  right  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  in  the 
full  tide  of  his  usefulness.  It  may  be  that  God  saw  that  his  death  might 
preach  louder  than  his  life.  He  did  his  life-work  well,  and  the  richest 
reward  that  a  true  soul  can  crave  he  has  attained. 

There  was  that  about  him  that  made  every  one  love  him.  When  he 
visited  me  some  time  ago  he  took  such  an  interest  in  everything,  even  lit- 
tle things  concerning  my  children,  that  their  hearts  warmed  up  to  him  at 
once.  We  all  loved  him  dearly  ;  our  house  was  a  scene  of  mourning 
when  we  heard  of  his  death.    I  never  expect  to  find  another  with  so  many 

*  Some  of  these  papers  may  be  found  in  the  Appendix,  note  C. 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  2  2  7 

good  qualities.  I  know  that  I  have  never  found  a  friend  so  true  and 
loyal. 

But  what  is  our  loss  to  yours  ?  We  have  thought  so  much  of  you 
with  your  orphaned  children  around  you.  We  have  thought  of  that  home 
which  was  always  so  bright  and  cheerful,  the  scene  of  so  many  delightful 
gatherings,  now  darkened  with  sorrow,  and  have  asked  our  Father  in 
heaven  to  comfort  and  support  you  from  the  very  depths  of  our  hearts. 
You  have  the  sweetest  memories  of  the  dear  life.  You  have  much  to  live 
over  again.  Your  children  have  an  honored  name  to  bear,  and  above  all 
you  have  God  to  lean  upon — your  God  and  his.  I  remember  once  Charles 
gave  me  this  text  to  write  a  sermon  from  :  "  His  lovingkindness  is  better 
than  life."  Lay  that  text  to  your  heart,  my  dear  sister.  I  shall  always 
associate  it  with  him.  I  wish  it  were  in  my  power  to  see  you  and  try  and 
bring  comfort  to  you.  I  can  only  write  words  that  are  cold  to  what  I  feel. 
My  wife  sends  her  heart  full  of  love  to  you,  and  I  assure  you  that  I  fully 
join  her  in  it.  May  God  bless  you,  and  "as  one  whom  his  mother  com- 
forteth,"  may  he  comfort  you.  If  it  is  in  my  power  to  serve  you  in  any 
way  I  will  only  be  too  happy  to  do  it.  Again,  God  keep  you  in  his  arms 
and  surround  your  little  ones  with  his  covenant  care.     He  will. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mrs.  Payson,  affectionately  and  sorrowfully 
yours. 

It  is  with  inexpressible  grief  and  pain  and  amazement,  (writes  an- 
other) that  I  have  heard  of  your  beloved  brother's  death.  On  the  human 
side  it  looks  untimely,  but  we  must  be  still  and  know  that  God  is  God. 

We  loved  and  admired  him  far  more  than  he  knew,  and  reproach 
ourselves  that  we  did  not  give  more  expression  to  these  sentiments,  now 
that  it  is  too  late.  As  for  you,  the  loss  is  irreparable,  and  nothing  but 
faith  in  God  can  carry  you  through  it.  And  it  seems  as  if  the  church  of 
Christ  could  not  spare  him.  And  then  his  poor  wife — my  heart  aches  for 
her — and  your  sister  in  China,  coming  home  to  such  bereavement,  so  dif- 
ferent from  what  she  was  expecting  !  I  feel  deeply  for  and  with  you 
all. 

It  is  no  time  to  talk  of  comfort.  This  is  the  time  for  tears ;  God 
grant  us  peaceable  fruit  afterward.  You  are  overwhelmed  with  visitors, 
so  I  dare  not  add  to  your  fatigue  and  care  by  coming  to  you,  save  in  this 
way.  When  you  feel  that  you  can  see  me,  come  and  let  us  talk  together 
of  the  other  side;  his  joy,  his  beatitude,  in  the  presence  of  the  One  he 
loved  and  lived  for. 

With  tenderest  sympathy  and  affection. 
New  York,  Jan.  25,  1877. 


22S  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

One  of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  says  : 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Payson  :  I  see  by  this  day's  paper  the  notice  of  our 
brother  Payson's  death,  and  hasten  at  once  to  write  and  tell  you  how  my 
heart  aches  for  you  and  your  children. 

If  ever  there  was  a  godly  man,  and  one  thoroughly  devoted  to  his 
work,  it  was  your  husband.  I  have  often  felt  that  he  set  me  an  example 
that  I  should  copy.  His  knowledge  of  God's  Word  was  a  matter  of  con- 
stant surprise  to  the  Philotheans,*  and  many  a  time  have  I  heard  it  men- 
tioned with  admiration.  In  his  pastoral  duties  I  do  not  believe  he  had  a 
superior  in  this  city.     What  a  loss  to  his  church  and  congregation  ! 

May  the  God  who  brought  him  all  through  his  life  and  gave  him  so 
many  tokens  of  his  favor,  comfort  your  heart  now  when  most  you  need  his 
gracious  support.  Yours  most  sincerely. 

New  York,  Jan.  25,  1877. 

The  following  is  from  a  friend  not  connected  with  his 
church. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Payson  :  .  . .  .  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way,  his 
wonders  to  perform;  and  truly  it  seems  to  us  a  mystery  that  one  so  good, 
so  holy,  so  perfectly  fitted  for  his  work  as  your  beloved  husband,  should 
be  removed  in  the  midst  of  his  abundant  labors. 

I  cannot  believe  it  yet,  and  it  seems  to  me  I  never  before  realized  so 
fully  the  perfect  certainty  of  an  immediate  translation  to  glory  as  in  the 
case  of  this  dear  friend.  What  must  the  trial  be  to  those  who  have  lost 
such  a  husband,  father,  brother,  and  guide,  as  he  was.  Quite  lately  he 
spent  an  evening  with  us,  telling  us  all  about  his  journey  to  Canada,  and, 
with  the  Bible  in  his  hand  as  his  text-book,  explained  to  one  of  my  sons 
the  wrong  points  in  Professor  Huxley's  lectures.  Never  did  he  pay  us  a 
visit  without  breathing  the  spirit  of  the  Christian  pastor,  and  making  us 
feel  the  better  for  his  advice  and  consolation,  and  sometimes  by  prayer 
strengthening  us. 

He  followed  my  dear  boys  through  life  with  his  best  wishes  and  pray- 
ers, and  would  ever  have  done  them  good.     The  inexpressible  comfort  he 

gave  to  us  all  at  the  time  our  beloved  M died  can  never  be  forgotten, 

and  we  feel  bereaved  in  your  bereavement. 

May  we  walk  in  his  footsteps,  treasure  his  advice  and  example,  and 
so  live  that  we  may  one  day  meet  him  where  no  suffering,  no  sorrow  will 
ever  enter.  May  the  Lord  bless  you  and  comfort  you,  and  enable  you  to 
say,  "Thy  will  be  done,"  and  may  your  dear  children  be  a  blessing  to  you 
and  grow  up  in  the  steps  of  their  sainted  father. 

*  The  name  of  a  company  of  ministers  with  whom  he  met  every  Saturday. 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  229 

Mrs.  R unites  with  me  in  affectionate  sympathy,  and  believe  me, 

dear  Mrs.  Payson, 

Your  sincere  friend. 
Orange,  N.  J. 

Another  writes  from  Italy  : 

It  seems  so  strange  that  one  so  more  than  commonly  useful  should  be 
taken  away;  but  "He  who  doeth  all  things  well"  had  a  "need  be"  for 
him,  perhaps  to  do  a  greater  work  that  we  do  n't  know  anything  about.  I 
wonder  and  wonder  why  so  many  of  us  are  left  who  are  of  so  little  use  in 
the  world ;  but  He  knows. 

The  Pastors'  Association  of  New  York  City  and  Vicin- 
ity, composed  of  representative  men  from  various  denom- 
inations, forwarded  to  Mrs.  Payson  a  copy  of  the  follow- 
ing paper,  expressive  of  their  sympathy  in  her  bereave- 
ment :* 

In  the  removal  of  our  brother,  Charles  H.  Payson,  from  his  earthly 
field  of  labor,  the  Pastors'  Association  has  lost  one  of  its  most  faithful  and 
efficient  members.  We  desire  to  record  our  sense  of  his  devotion  to  the 
Master's  service,  of  his  well-defined  convictions,  coupled  with  a  large- 
souled  charity  towards  those  who  differed  with  him,  of  his  untiring  indus- 
try in  his  pastorate,  of  his  active  sympathy  with  the  poor  and  suffering,  of 
his  warm  affection  for  his  brethren,  and  of  the  Christian  consistency  of  his 
entire  life.  We  give  this  testimony  to  our  dear  brother's  work  on  earth  in 
the  blessed  and  assured  hope  of  rejoining  him  in  the  heavenly  rest. 
New  York,  Jan.  2g,  1877. 

Very  many  more  such  testimonials  might  be  given  ; 
but  these  may  suffice  to  indicate  the  widespread  and  gen- 
eral sorrow  which  was  occasioned  by  the  news  of  his 
death.  They  are  the  garlands  which  accompany  his 
bier. 

Seldom  is  a  more  impressive  or  solemn  scene  to  be 
witnessed  than  that  at  the  funeral  services  of  this  belov- 
ed pastor  and  friend.     At  an  early  hour  of  Saturday, 

*  Other  similar  papers  may  be  found  in  the  Appendix,  Note  C. 
All  lor  Cnrist.  20 


230  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

January  27,  the  beautiful  Memorial  chapel  was  crowded 
to  the  utmost  with  those  who  came  to  pay  the  last  tribute 
of  respect  and  affection,  while  many  turned  away  unable 
to  gain  admission.  Besides  his  own  congregation,  there 
were  present  large  numbers  of  personal  friends,  including 
almost  all  of  his  brother  ministers  of  the  Presbytery  of 
New  York,  and  not  a  few  prominent  laymen,  who  testi- 
fied by  their  presence  to  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  the  church  at  large.  A  conspicuous  feature  in 
the  audience  was  the  Payson  Bible  class,  consisting  of 
ninety-one  young  men.  The  class  was  named  after  the 
pastor  on  account  of  the  deep  interest  he  always  evinced 
in  their  welfare. 

The  services,  as  he  would  have  wished,  were  very 
simple.  Familiar  hymns  were  sung,  short  passages  of 
Scripture  were  read,  and  prayer  was  offered.  Brief  ad- 
dresses descriptive  of  his  character  as  a  man,  a  Christian, 
and  a  pastor,  and  expressing  the  deep  affection  with 
which  he  was  universally  regarded,  were  made  by  the 
Rev.  Drs.  William  J.  Tucker,  William  Adams,  Howard 
Crosby,  Charles  D.  Helmer,  and  Erskine  N.  White,  the 
latter  two  his  classmates  in  the  Union  Theological  Sem- 
inary. A  deep  and  tearful  solemnity  rested  upon  every 
face  throughout  the  assembly,  and  at  times  the  forced 
suppression  of  feeling,  both  upon  the  part  of  the  speak- 
ers and  hearers,  was  "almost  painful."  Several  of  those 
who  spoke  remarked,  after  the  exercises  were  over,  that 
they  never  before  had  seen  an  audience  which  seemed  so 
deeply  moved  by  their  own  personal  grief  and  sense  of 
loss.     "  There  was  a  sensation  of  tenderness,"  as  one  of 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  231 

them  said,  "throughout  the  house.  It  seemed  as  though 
only  one  word  was  needed  from  the  speaker  to  lead  the 
whole  congregation  into  convulsive  grief  and  lamentation. 
It  required  an  almost  painful  effort  on  the  part  of  all  who 
spoke  to  restrain  the  strong  emotions  that  were  every- 
where visible." 

Most  admirable  and  affectionate  tributes  were  paid 
to  Mr.  Payson's  character  by  those  who  addressed  the 
assembly,  and  in  such  honest,  earnest  words,  that  the 
service,  though  very  long,  was  exceedingly  consoling  to 
all  who  sorrowed  for  his  loss.  His  frankness,  his  whole- 
souled  devotion  to  the  cause  of  saving  men ;  his  decision 
of  character  and  strength  of  principle,  coupled  with  rare 
kindness  of  heart  and  unfeigned  charity  for  those  who 
differed  from  him  in  their  views  of  truth  ;  his  self-deny- 
ing service  of  the  Master ;  his  rule  of  making  no  distinc- 
tion between  what  men  call  little  and  great  things,  if 
only  he  could  serve  the  Lord  and  His  people :  his  unfal- 
tering faith  and  practical  views  of  every  phase  of  Chris- 
tian life — these  and  other  prominent  traits  of  character 
were  dwelt  upon  most  lovingly  by  men  who  had  known 
him  long  and  intimately,  and  who,  it  was  plain  to  see, 
revered  his  memory. 

The  most  pathetic  scenes  occurred  while  those  who 
loved  him  paused  beside  his  bier  and  took  their  last  fare- 
well. Poor  men  and  women,  old,  decrepit — friendless 
now — broke  down  in  sobs  and  tears  as  they  gazed  upon 
his  dear  dead  face.  Very  many  of  them  lost  in  this  man 
the  truest  friend  God  ever  gave  them,  and  they  could  not 
restrain  their  grief. 


232  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

"  For  more  than  an  hour  they  passed  by  the  bier,  to  the  number  of 
over  a  thousand,  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor ;  and  I  never  saw  in  my 
life,"  says  an  eye-witness,  "such  a  large  number  of  sincere  mourners.  The 
most  affectionate  tributes  to  his  memory  were  borne  by  many  and  many  a 
poor  old  widow  and  lonely  one  whom  this  good  man,  by  his  true  sympathy, 
had  helped  to  bear  life's  burdens;  and  nothing  which  his  friends  could 
wish  has  been  withheld  to  comfort  them  as  they  recall  his  faithful  work 
and  his  rich  reward — nothing,  I  mean,  of  outward  testimony  to  his 
worth."* 

The  following  addresses  were  delivered  on  the  occa- 
sion. 

The  Rev.  William  J.  Tucker,  D.  D.,f  said: 

We  are  brought  together  by  such  an  unexpected  sor- 
row, that  our  first  thoughts  are  hardly  those  of  faith,  but 
rather  of  doubt  and  defeat  ;  even  as  our  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter once  exclaimed  in  the  presence  of  his  enemies,  "Ver- 
ily, this  is  your  hour  and  the  power  of  darkness." 

Well  nigh  every  circumstance  is  present  to  give 
meaning  to  death.  A  life  broken  before  it  had  felt  the 
strain  of  years,  an  unfinished  work,  of  which  everything 
about  this  place  speaks  to  us,  a  people  with  heavy  hearts, 
waiting  if  there  be  any  words  of  comfort  to  which  they 
may  listen,  and  a  home  with  its  earthly  loves  and  hopes 
shattered  and  fallen — what  are  these  but  reminders  to  us 
all  that  we  live  and  love  and  do  our  work  under  the  eye 
of  the  great  enemy  ! 

"  But  thanks  be  to  God,  which  giveth  us  the  victory 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

*  A  graphic  description  of  the  services  at  the  chapel,  together  with  a 
glowing  tribute  to  Mr.  Payson's  character,  may  be  found  in  the  article  of 
the  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.  D.,  of  this  city,  written  for  a  contemporary  weekly, 
and  published  herewith  in  the  Appendix,  Note  D. 

t  Pastor  of  the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  church,  New  York  city. 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  233 

As  I  sat  a  little  time  ago  beside  the  heart  that  knows 
more  than  we  all  the  meaning  of  this  hour,  and  heard 
from  her  lips  the  words  of  triumph  in  which  our  brother 
laid  down  his  life,  and  saw  in  her  eyes  the  reflection  of 
his  own  faith,  I  felt,  as  it  is  rarely  given  us  to  feel,  the 
reality  of  the  promise  that  "  death  is  swallowed  up  in 
victory."  And,  surely,  brethren  of  the  ministry,  if  one  of 
our  number  has  thus  died,  lifting  up  those  about  him  into 
something  of  his  own  spirit,  we  ought  not  to  withhold  at 
this  time  the  full  response  of  our  faith,  "  We  believe  in 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  in  the  life  everlasting." 
Let  us  speak  with  one  another  and  to  this  people  under 
the  inspiration  of  our  beliefs.  Let  us  also  make  this  an 
hour  of  grateful  remembrance.  There  are  very  many 
things  coming  to  us,  by  the  grace  of  God,  out  of  this  life 
for  which  we  may  thank  Him,  and  take  heart. 

For  myself,  though  so  recently  a  fellow-worker  with 
Mr.  Payson  in  this  church,  let  me  say  that  the  impres- 
sion which  he  has  made  upon  me  is  clear  and  strong.  I 
saw  from  the  first  that  I  had  to  do  with  a  consecrated 
man.  And  the  more  I  saw  of  his  purpose  and  methods, 
the  more  evident  it  became  that  the  whole  man  was  in 
his  work.  Indeed,  I  never  knew  one  who  gave  himself 
out  more  freely,  lavishly.  There  was  apparently  no  dis- 
tinction in  his  mind,  such  as  men  are  wont  to  make,  be- 
tween things  great  and  small.  All  things  to  him  were 
great,  as  having  to  do  with  the  service  of  his  Master ;  so 
that,  whoever  came  to  him  in  the  name  of  Christ,  was 
sure  of  receiving  whatever  he  had  to  give,  whe  her  of 
sympathy,  or  instruction,  or  time. 


234  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

Here,  I  think,  lay  the  reason  of  his  success.  Cer- 
tainly we  have  here  that  last  thing,  which  if  men  lack  in 
their  work  for  Christ,  they  will  fall  short  of  success. 
There  was  not  only  no  confusion  in  the  purpose  of  his 
life,  there  was  absolutely  no  reserve  in  the  expression  of 
his  life.  His  love  for  men  was  manifestly  deep  and  gen- 
uine, and  through  it  he  poured  into  their  hearts  the  ener- 
gies of  his  nature  and  the  riches  of  his  faith. 

What  we  see,  therefore,  in  the  sorrow  of  this  congre- 
gation is  the  simple  response  to  a  love  which  through 
long  years  had  been  freely  given.  These  hearts  are  say- 
ing to  us  through  their  tears  what  God  permits  to  be 
said,  in  measure,  of  a  true  servant,  as  of  Himself,  "We 
love  him  because  he  first  loved  us." 

Such  is  the  impression  which  'an  acquaintance  of  less 
than  two  years  gave  me  of  Mr.  Payson,  and  which  will 
pervade  all  my  remembrances  of  him.  It  is  that  of  a 
man  who  had  given  himself  to  Christ  years  before  I 
knew  him,  but  whom  I  knew  in  the  daily  endeavor  of  his 
life  to  use  himself  most  generously  for  Christ. 

We  can  ill  afford  to  lose  a  worker  like  him  out  of  our 
ranks  under  the  necessities  of  to-day  ;  but  neither  may 
we  withhold  a  worker  like  him  from  early  entrance  into 
the  Master's  joy. 

REMARKS  BY  THE  REV.   WILLIAM  ADAMS,  D.  D.* 

No  spectacle  is  more  suggestive  or  impressive  than 
the  funeral  of  a  Christian  minister.     Often   has  he  in- 

*  President  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  formerly  pastor  of 
the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church. 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  235 

structed  his  people  concerning  the  great  mystery  of 
death.  Often  has  he  taught  them  the  only  method  by 
which  they  could  be  prepared  for  that  event  by  faith  in 
Him  who  has  disarmed  death  of  its  sting.  Frequently 
has  he  administered  consolation  to  the  bereaved,  as  he 
stood  with  mourners  at  the  open  grave.  At  length  his 
own  appointed  time  has  come.  There  is  no  official  ex- 
emption for  any  from  the  necessity  of  dying.  He  who 
has  been  so  long  familiar  with  the  sight  of  death,  in  his 
turn  is  brought  to  experience  it  for  himself,  and  now  he 
lies  still  and  lifeless  in  front  of  the  pulpit  where  for 
years  he  had  preached  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

In  the  present  instance  it  is  not  an  aged  servant  of 
God  seeking  rest  at  sunset  after  a  long  and  laborious  life. 
It  seems,  as  we  might  say,  according  to  the  course  of 
nature,  that  such  a  one  as  "  Paul  the  aged,"  having  fin- 
ished his  course  and  accomplished  the  work  given  him 
to  do,  should  fall  on  sleep.  But  here  is  one  cut  off  in 
his  prime  and  promise,  falling  prematurely,  as  man  ex- 
presses it,  with  the  best  part  of  his  stewardship  yet  in 
prospect.  The  suddenness  of  the  event,  moreover,  is 
appalling.  In  the  very  midst  of  youthful  vigor,  of 
abounding  health,  with  every  reasonable  expectation  of 
length  of  days,  in  "  an  hour  when  we  looked  not  for  it," 
the  summons  has  come,  and  the  young  minister  of  Christ 
is  taken  away  when  he  could  not  be  spared  by  the  reap- 
ers. 

This  is  no  time  for  eulogy.  In  the  presence  of  death 
the  words  of  man  seem  poor  and  paltry.  Little  need  is 
there  of  our  speaking  to  one  another  concerning  our  de- 


236  ALL  LOR  CHRIST. 

parted  brother,  when  he  is  speaking  to  us  in  such  tender 
tones  by  his  cold  and  pallid  lips.  Less  we  ought  not  to 
say,  ere  he  is  borne  by  devout  men  to  his  burial,  than 
this  :  never  was  any  man  more  earnest,  more  self-forget- 
ful, more  faithful  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  than  he. 
We  might  well  and  honestly  borrow  for  his  epitaph  the 
words  in  the  Sacred  Annals  descriptive  of  Barnabas  : 
"  He  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of 
faith ;  and  much  people  were  added  unto  the  Lord." 
When  Dcrcas  died  at  Joppa,  the  widows  whom  she  had 
befriended  gathered  weeping  about  her  bier,  showing- 
one  to  another  the  garments  which  she  had  made  for 
their  comfort.  Many  are  there  in  this  assembly  who 
mourn  to-day  the  loss  of  a  true  friend  who  had  often  vis- 
ited and  helped  them  in  times  of  sickness  and  want  and 
loneliness  and  widowhood.  It  is  right  to  "make  lamen- 
tation" over  such  a  one,  removed  when  he  was  most 
needed  and  most  useful.  His  best  eulogy  is  that  his 
death  must  be  and  is  regarded  as  a  public  bereave- 
ment. 

It  is  recorded  of  Dr.  Edward  Payson,  the  illustrious 
kinsman  of  our  deceased  brother,  that,  by  his  own  direc- 
tion, a  paper  was  laid  upon  his  breast  in  his  coffin,  hav- 
ing this  inscription  :  "  Remember  the  words  which  I 

SPAKE    UNTO    YOU  WHILE  I  WAS  YET   WITH  YOU  f    SO  that 

as  his  people  passed  by  in  long  procession  to  take  the 
last  look  of  their  pastor,  they  might  receive  another  ser- 
mon from  him  who,  living  and  dying,  evinced  this  as  the 
desire  of  his  heart,  that  they  might  be  saved.  If  these 
lips  now  sealed  in  death  could  break  this  strange  silence 


THE  LAST  DA  YS.  237 

and  resume  their  articulate  language,  who  can  doubt  that 
their  testimony  would  be  the  very  same  as  before  when 
he  entreated  men  to  look  unto  the  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  If  there  be  any  in  this 
assembly  who  have  withstood  the  persuasions  of  their 
pastor  when  living,  let  them  yield  to  his  last,  tender,  post- 
humous appeal,  as  they  shall  see  his  face  no  more.  Last, 
did  I  say  ?  I  recall  and  qualify  the  word.  The  influence 
of  a  faithful  Christian  minister  does  not  cease  with  the 
vibrations  of  the  air  which  gave  his  thoughts  and  words 
a  voice.  His  thoughts  have  quickened  the  thoughts  of 
others.  His  words  will  echo  on  in  the  memories  of  liv- 
ing men  long  after  he  has  gone  from  their  sight.  Being 
dead,  he  will  still  speak  ;  and  the  comparisons  and  judg- 
ments and  resolutions  which  he  has  stirred  in  the  minds 
of  his  hearers  will  reproduce  and  multiply  themselves  in 
long  succession  in  many  others  whom  he  will  never  see 
on  the  earth.  A  good  man  may  depart,  but  he  never 
dies.  Had  in  "  everlasting  remembrance,"  his  influence, 
in  the  best  sense,  attains  an  earthly  immortality. 

The  example  of  our  Lord,  when  visiting  the  family  at 
Bethany  at  the  time  when  Lazarus  died,  is  our  best  model 
on  occasions  like  the  present.  That  He  wept  at  the 
grave  of  his  friend  is  proof  that  there  is  a  place,  in  our 
bereavements,  for  the  expression  of  our  natural  sensibili- 
ties. But  nothing  was  said  by  our  great  Teacher  in  the 
way  of  exciting  this  class  of  emotions.  His  divine  act  of 
consolation  was  in  holding  forth  those  sublime  truths  of 
our  religion  which  by  their  very  weight  were  sure  to 
overpower  and  moderate  all  fainter  impressions.     "  Thy 


238  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

brother  shall  rise  again."  "  I  am  the  Resurrection  and 
the  Life.  He  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live  ;  and  he  that  liveth  and  believeth  in  me 
shall  never  die."  Were  we  to  follow  only  the  "  sorrow 
of  the  world,"  we  should  dwell  altogether  upon  those 
aspects  of  death  which  move  us  to  tears  :  the  abrupt  ter- 
mination of  a  useful  life,  the  irreparable  loss  of  a  young 
family,  brightness  and  buoyancy  turned  in  a  night  into 
widowhood  and  orphanage,  the  disappointment  and  grief 
of  an  affectionate  congregation,  and  all  the  varied  cir- 
cumstances, public  and  private,  which  impart  to  this 
event  so  much  of  gloom  and  depression.  But,  after  all, 
these  are  only  the  extrinsic  and  casual  associations  of 
death.  As  for  all  which  is  essential  and  instructive  and 
consoling,  we  fall  back  upon  the  great  and  calm  articles 
of  our  Christian  faith.  Now  is  the  time  to  lay  hold,  as 
with  an  anchor  sure  and  steadfast,  of  those  immovable 
truths  which  were  announced  by  Jesus  Christ  to  Martha 
and  Mary  when  their  brother  died.  There  is  a  place  in 
our  grief  for  hope  as  well  as  for  memory,  for  congratula- 
tion as  well  as  for  mourning.  Death  has  a  twofold 
aspect — the  one  towards  those  who  survive,  than  which 
nothing  can  be  more  terrible,  the  other  towards  those 
who  go  to  be  with  Christ,  than  which  nothing  can  be 
more  attractive.  Let  us  congratulate  our  young  brother 
that  his  work  is  finished  and  that  he  hath  entered  into 
rest,  leaving  to  those  who  mourn  his  departure  the  price- 
less legacy  of  an  untarnished  name,  a  good  Christian 
character.  "  Weeping  with  them  who  weep,"  let  us  all 
find,  as  the  wisest  lesson  of  the  hour,  that  impulse  to  a 


THE  LAST  DA  YS.  239 

simpler  faith  in  Him  who  is  the  conqueror  of  death, 
which  will  be  our  best  preparation  for  our  own  de- 
parture. 

REMARKS   OF  REV.  HOWARD   CROSBY,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.* 

It  is  an  April  day  of  commingled  cloud  and  sunshine 
with  our  hearts  when  a  Christian  friend  leaves  us  for  his 
heavenly  home.  Sorrow  and  joy  are  strangely  blended. 
When  we  think  of  the  promotion,  the  glory,  how  can  we 
help  echo  the  cry  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the.  sal- 
vation completed  in  the  triumph  of  heaven  ?  Ay,  this  is 
all  so  sure,  that  we  can  afford  to  give  way  to  the  sorrow 
which  sees  the  disaster  which  has  befallen  us.  .  .  .  And 
then,  again,  this  very  sorrow  bears  a  fruit  of  joy.  Our 
affliction  works  out  for  us  the  weight  of  glory.  There  is 
an  organic  connection  between  our  tears  and  our  paeans 
of  victory. 

Dear  Charles  Payson  !  now  where  Christ  is  !  absent 
from  the  body  and  present  with  the  Lord !  We  greet 
you  as  anticipating  us  in  the  realizations  of  our  glorious 
hope.  We  could  not  wish  to  call  you  back  to  the  toils 
and  trials  of  this  preparatory  life. 

But  what  a  loss  is  ours  !  I  belonged  to  a  company  of 
ministers  who  met  each  week  to  converse  on  Bible 
themes,  of  which  circle  our  brother  Payson  was  a  con- 
spicuous member.  We  loved  him  with  all  our  hearts ; 
with  no  if  or  but ;  it  was  an  entire  affection.  How  we 
shall  miss  his  manly  counsel,  his  earnest  exhortations,  his 
faithful  testimony  in  those  weekly  reunions! 

*  Pastor  of  Fourth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  and  Chancellor  of 
the  New  York  University. 


24o  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

And  this  flourishing  church,  how  can  it  ever  supply 
the  place  of  its  large-hearted  and  indefatigable  pastor  ? 
For  nearly  a  score  of  years  his  energies  and  prayers  have 
been  concentrated  on  this  spot,  and  here  the  Spirit  has 
put  His  seal  to  his  consistent  labors  by  building  up  an 
active  and  zealous  people,  the  influence  of  whose  exam- 
ple cannot  be  calculated  for  its  extent  and  power.  Oh 
what  heart-wounds  are  caused  here  by  this  departure  of 
one  so  beloved ! 

If  I  were  asked  as  to  the  distinguishing  traits  of 
our  dear  brother's  character,  I  should  say,  first,  truthful- 
ness. He  had  no  concealment.  He  said  what  he  felt. 
If  he  pressed  your  hand  in  friendship,  you  knew  there 
was  no  contempt  or  sarcasm  or  doubt  lurking  behind. 
His   character    was    transparent.      He    entertained    no 

guile Secondly,  single-heartedness.     I  never  knew 

a  man  who  seemed  so  utterly  free  from  all  worldly  no- 
tions in  his  ministry.  This  was  made  very  clear  to  me 
as  we  often  walked  together  those  Saturday  evenings 
and  talked  of  the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom.  He  had 
the  one  aim  to  glorify  the  Lord  by  his  ministry,  and  to 
this  he  brought  all  his  talents  and  energies  with  a  hearti- 
ness that   was    enthusiasm Thirdly,   gentleness. 

With  fixed  opinions  of  his  own,  and  profoundly  conscien- 
tious in  their  bold  maintenance,  he  nevertheless  treated 
opposing  opinions  with  respect,  never  facing  in  his  kind- 
ness and  courtesy  towards  those  who  differed  with  him. 
This  was  the  more  a  credit  to  him,  as  his  own  views 
upon  any  important  question  were  always  very  decided. 
It  is  no  special  credit  to  be  amiable  towards  those  who 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  241 

differ  from  us  if  we  are  not  positive  ourselves  ;  but  strong 
in  his  own  convictions,  his  gentleness  towards  his  breth- 
ren created  a  new  bond  of  love. 

Such  a  character  was  one  to  be  loved.  And  he  was 
loved,  tenderly,  devotedly.  Oh,  what  a  joy  it  is  to  know 
that  we  are  not  done  with  him !  No !  no !  no !  The 
apostle,  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  Corinthians,  after 
leading  us  upward  far  away  from  earth  to  the  bright, 
golden  future  of  the  heavenly  world,  cries  in  a  holy  ecs- 
tasy, "  And  now  (in  this  heavenly  glory)  .  .  .  abideth  faith, 
hope,  love, ....  and  the  greatest  of  these  is  love." 

Yes,  these  tender  affections,  consecrated  in  Christ, 
will  never  cease.  The  love  that  bound  us  and  Charles 
Payson  together  is  still  potent,  and  it  shall  be  stronger 
than  ever  when  we  join  him  in  the  dear  home  above. 

REMARKS  BY  THE  REV.  C.  D.  HELMER,  D.  D.,  A  CLASS- 
MATE.* 

The  sympathies  and  desires  of  my  heart  to-day  would 
place  me  in  the  group  of  those  upon  whom  the  stroke  of 
this  great  affliction  falls  most  heavily.  But  my  long  and 
intimate  acquaintance  with  this  lamented  brother  furnish- 
es also  a  reason  for  a  few  words  to  be  spoken  at  this  hour 
of  farewell  over  his  mortal  remains.  I  knew  Mr.  Payson 
in  his  boyhood ;  I  knew  him  in  his  excellent  Christian 
home,  where  a  godly  father  and  a  saintly  mother  filled 
the  household  with  the  pure  and  genial  atmosphere  of 
an  earnest  piety  and  consecrated  life.     I  knew  him  as  a 

*  Pastor  of  the  Tompkins  Avenue  Congregational  Church,  Brooklyn, 
New  York. 

All  for  Christ.  21 


2  42  ALL  FOR  CLLRIST. 

young  man  in  his  earlier  and  preparatory  studies  ;  and  I 
knew  him  in  the  whole  course  of  special  training  for  the 
ministry.  We  were  members  of  the  same  class  in  the 
Theological  Seminary. 

It  was  my  pleasure  and  good  fortune,  also,  at  the 
close  of  our  Seminary  studies,  to  be  a  travelling  compan- 
ion with  him  for  many  months  of  daily  and  hourly  inter- 
course, and  with  all  the  peculiarly  close  intimacy  of  fellow- 
travellers,  making  everywhere  the  same  journey  and  with 
the  same  plan  and  purpose.  Since  he  began  the  active 
work  of  his  ministry  in  New  York,  our  acquaintance  has 
continued ;  but  there  are  others  here  more  competent 
to  speak  of  this  later  part  of  his  career. 

And  knowing  Charles  H.  Payson  thus  intimately 
over  a  period  of  thirty  years  and  more,  I  can  speak  of 
him  with  the  delightful  confidence  of  uttering  the  truth, 
as  always  and  everywhere  a  positive  and  genuine  Chris- 
tian. I  have  been  with  him  on  many  and  various  occasions, 
that  would  naturally  disclose  the  qualities  of  his  charac- 
ter, and  never  knew  him  to  flinch  from  what  he  believed 
to  be  right  and  duty.  He  was  eminently  conscientious. 
Whether  in  study  or  work  or  recreation,  in  private  or  in  so- 
cial relations,  he  had  one  rule  of  life,  which  was  the  law  of 
uprightness.  So  strongly  was  this  quality  of  his  char- 
acter impressed  upon  my  mind,  that  I  never  expected 
under  any  circumstances  to  see  him  swerve  from  what 
seemed  to  him  the  path  of  duty. 

This  conscientiousness  showed  itself,  not  only  in  the 
ordinary  affairs  of  every-day  life,  but  was  quite  as  con- 
spicuous in  his  studies  and  his  work  as  a  minister.     He 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  243 

could  tolerate  no  sham,  no  make-believe  in  anything. 
What  he  believed  and  what  he  taught  as  a  preacher  of 
the  Gospel  was  the  result  of  his  own  honest  and  earnest 
study  of  the  word  of  God. 

Mr.  Payson  was  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  by  blood, 
by  inheritance  of  nature,  and  by  all  the  shaping  influences 
of  his  home  and  early  life.  He  came  of  ministerial 
stock.  The  piety,  culture,  refinement,  and  moral  devel- 
opment, of  his  ancestry,  on  both  the  paternal  and  maternal 
side,  left  him  a  grand  inheritance.  These  forces  of  the 
past  did  much  to  shape  his  brain  and  give  depth  and 
strength  to  his  religious  nature.  He  became  a  preacher 
of  the  Gospel  by  a  positive  bias  almost  irresistible.  And 
at  the  same  time  his  own  personal  feelings,  desires,  and 
aims,  all  were  in  harmony  with  the  controlling  influences 
of  his  life.  So  that  he  knew  something  of  what  Paul 
meant  when  he  said,  "  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the 
Gospel." 

No  one  could  come  in  contact  with  our  beloved  broth- 
er, without  being  impressed  by  his  singular  whole-heart- 
edness  in  his  work.  His  services  were  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  dreary  and  cold  style  of  the  perfunctory  perfor- 
mer. His  soul  was  in  his  words  and  deeds.  I  should  say 
that  he  was  a  man  of  fire.  His  was  a  burning  zeal,  coupled 
with  practical  discretion  and  good  sense.  What  a  fine 
enthusiasm  pervaded  all  that  he  did  and  said !  How  it 
blazed  out  in  everything,  warming  the  whole  atmosphere 
that  enveloped  his  kindled  and  enkindling  life !  Not 
inaptly  nor  irreverently  may  these  words,  sanctified  by  the 
holiest  application,  be  borrowed  for  him  :  "  He    was  a 


244  ALL  F0R  CHRIST. 

burning  and  a  shining  light."  Beneath  the  glow  of  his 
nature  the  chill  fled  out  of  the  air,  the  ice  ran  away  in 
singing  streams,  and  the  very  rocks  were  melted.  This 
peculiar  warmth  and  fervor  of  soul  rendered  him  great 
service  in  his  work  as  a  pastor.  It  bound  others  to  him 
with  strongest  ties  ;  grappled  his  friends  close  to  him  ; 
made  it  easy  for  strangers  to  approach,  and  paved  the 
way  for  all  burdened  and  troubled  souls  to  bring  him  the 
secrets  of  their  suffering  lives.  His  sympathy  was  cap- 
tivating and  contagious ;  and  was  an  exemplification  of 
that  divine  compassion  for  mankind,  which  so  wonderful- 
ly characterized  the  life  of  Jesus. 

And  now, with  all  these  excellent  qualifications  for 
the  work  given  him  to  do  for  the  Lord  and  for  man,  he 
has  wrought  for  eighteen  fruitful  years.  With  studious 
retirement  from  every  kind  of  notoriety,  always  shunning 
most  instinctively  whatever  might  seem  to  be  self-seek- 
ing, he  has  labored  zealously  and  faithfully,  doing  all 
things  as  unto  the  Lord.  And  in  the  very  zenith  of  his 
usefulness  and  power  his  career  has  suddenly  ended. 
We  bow  before  the  unexplained  will  of  God.  To  us  it 
must  seem  a  great  and,  in  some  respects,  irreparable  loss. 

But  while  he  has  ceased  from  his  labors,  his  works  do 
follow  him.  What  he  has  accomplished  is  not  to  be  re- 
garded as  in  analogy  with  the  unfinished  productions  of 
the  artist.  Many  a  painter  has  died  with  an  unfinished 
picture  on  his  easel,  which  no  one  coming  after  could 
complete  for  him.  But  this  godly  minister,  working  for 
moral  and  spiritual  character,  has  left  behind  that  which 
will  be  carried  on  to  perfection.     The  word  of  divine 


THE  LAST  DAYS.  245 

truth,  the  sanctifying  Spirit  of  God,  the  gospel  means  of 
grace,  will  continue  to  fill  in  and  fill  out  that  which  has 
been  begun,  even  unto  "  the  measure  of  the  fulness  of 
the  stature  of  Christ."  Look  at  that  regiment  of  young 
men  yonder  standing  along  against  the  walls  of  this 
sanctuary,  a  strong  and  earnest  band  that  had  gathered 
about  their  leader  who  now  lies  here  in  the  pallor  and 
silence  of  death.  These  are  evidence  in  part  of  the  good 
work  accomplished  by  our  lamented  brother.  And  they 
will  go  forth  still  to  the  glorious  warfare,  "  the  good  fight 
of  faith,"  to  do  what  he  has  taught  and  incited  them  to 
do,  to  win  victories  for  the  gospel  of  Christ  in  the  world, 
and  so  to  continue  his  power,  his  influence,  his  labors 
among  men.  How  much  this  involves  and  signifies  will 
never  be  perceived  till  the  harvest  shall  be.  measured  in 
the  heavens  where  all  things  are  known.  But  these  re- 
marks must  not  be  prolonged.  I  am  here  chiefly  to  join 
with  others  in  the  tender  and  solemn  service  of  burial,  to 
offer  my  tribute  of  honor  and  affection. 

REMARKS    BY  THE  REV.   ERSKINE  N.  WHITE,  D.  D.,  A  CLASS- 
MATE.* 

It  is  very  hard  for  me  to  realize  that  the  comrade  of 
many  years,  the  tried  friend,  the  Christian  brother,  this 
fellow-laborer  in  the  gospel  of  Christ,  is  gone.  It  seems 
almost  impossible  to  believe  that  I  shall  never  again  hear 
his  cordial  greeting,  never  again  feel  the  warm  clasp  of 
his  hand,  never  again  reply  to  his  affectionate  inquiry 

*  Pastor  of  the  West  Twenty-third  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  New 
York  City. 

* 


24 6  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

as  to  how  it  fares  with  me  and  my  work.  Doubtless 
as  time  passes  we  shall  all  of  us  appreciate  more  and 
more  keenly  the  great  loss  we  have  sustained  in  this 
sudden,  unlooked-for  departure  of  our  brother :  to-day  I 
stand  here  simply  to  express  in  as  few  words  as  possible 
my  own  sense  of  personal  bereavement,  and  to  add  my 
tribute  of  respect  and  love  to  those  already  paid. 

I  have  known  and  loved  Charles  Payson  for  more 
than  twenty  years — from  the  time  that  we  were  class- 
mates in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary.  Since  then 
we  have  been  in  constant  communication,  laboring  much 
of  the  time  side  by  side  as  members  of  the  same  Pres- 
bytery, and  our  relations  to  one  another  have  been  fra- 
ternal and  intimate  in  the  highest  degree.  As  I  have 
looked  back  upon  our  long  association,  I  have  asked  my- 
self what  was  there  in  his  life  that  now  in  this  retrospect 
seems  most  prominent  and  characteristic.  I  can  think 
of  nothing  that  so  entirely  marked  his  words  and  acts  as 
that  to  which  reference  has  been  already  made — his  self- 
consecration.  He  was  eager,  enthusiastic,  self-denying  in 
his  work;  he  was  fertile  in  expedient,  untiring  in  execu- 
tion, sympathetic  and  gracious  in  manner ;  but  he  was 
always  and  above  all  a  consecrated  man.  In  conversation 
he  brought  every  question  to  the  touchstone  of  God's 
will  and  our  duty  as  Christ's  servants.  In  any  discus- 
sion in  ministerial  circles  I  always  expected  to  hear  from 
him  a  reference  of  the  subject  to  its  bearings  upon  our 
Christian  work  and  Christian  life,  and  I  was  rarely  dis- 
appointed. In  public  address  the  same  spirit  was  mani- 
fest ;  his  object  was  always  to  impress  his  hearers  with 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  247 

their  personal  responsibility  to  God.  This  it  was  that 
made  him  such  an  enthusiastic,  sympathetic  worker  in 
times  of  special  religious  interest.  This  it  was  that  gave 
him  such  power  to  influence  men  to  seek  the  Saviour 
whom  he  loved.  He  spake  that  which  he  knew,  and  his 
utterance  commanded  belief. 

To  our  poor  human  wisdom  it  seems  sad  and  inex- 
plicable that  such  a  man  should  be  cut  off  in  the  midst 
of  his  days,  at  the  very  meridian  of  his  strength.  We 
had  supposed  that  his  mind  was  maturing,  his  powers 
enlarging,  his  life  ripening  for  still  better  work  awaiting 
him  here,  and  to  the  pain  of  our  bereavement  we  are 
tempted  to  add  the  fear  of  loss  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
Is  it  not  then  a  precious  privilege  that  we  can  turn  to 
God's  word  and  be  assured  that  such  service  is  inter- 
rupted by  death  but  for  the  moment  ? 

"What  are  these,"  asked  John,  "who  are  arrayed  in 
white  robes?"  And  the  answer  was,  "These  are  they 
who  have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  therefore  are  they  before  the 
throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  tem- 
ple, and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among 
them."  Thus  the  work  of  our  brother  continues ;  it  is 
only  the  field  that  is  changed.  All  the  joy  that  there  is 
in  faithful  service  is  still  his ;  it  is  only  the  trials,  the 
anxieties,  the  temptations,  the  disappointments  that  have 
ended. 

As  I  have  sat  here  to-day  my  thoughts  have  gone 
back  to  the  last  occasion  when  I  stood  in  this  pulpit. 
Then  he  was  by  my  side.     It  was  at  the  meeting  for 


248  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

praise  and  thanksgiving  held  last  summer  at  the  close  of 
special  services,  and  after  the  ingathering  of  the  harvest 
of  souls.  Then  as  now  the  house  was  crowded,  and 
the  chorus  of  praise  was  full  and  grand.  You  know 
whose  face  seemed  most  radiant  with  joy,  whose  voice 
most  earnestly  led  that  song  of  thanksgiving.  Doubt- 
less few  who  were  then  present  but  are  here  again  to- 
day, but  he,  the  leader,  is  gone.  While  we  are  gathered 
here  with  heads  bowed  in  mourning,  he  is  with  that  far 
greater  company  gathered  out  of  every  kindred  and 
tongue  and  people  and  nation  who,  redeemed  by  the 
precious  blood  of  the  Lamb,  are  singing  the  new  song. 
And,  my  dear  hearers,  although  our  eyes  are  dimmed 
with  tears  and  our  voices  choked  with  sobs,  shall  not 
we,  too,  in  view  of  our  brother's  Christian  life,  successful 
work,  and  triumphant  death,  unite  in  saying, 

"  Blessing  and  honor  and  glory  and  power  be  unto 
him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  to  the  Lamb  for 
ever  and  ever." 

At  the  close  of  the  exercises  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced by  the  Rev.  Martin  A.  Erdmann,  pastor  of  the 
German  branch  of  the  Memorial  Chapel,  and  an  opportu- 
nity was  then  afforded  the  congregation  to  take  their  last 
farewell  of  the  pastor  whom  they  loved  so  tenderly,  and 
who  had  served  them  with  so  faithful  and  devoted  a 
spirit.  It  is  impossible  to  reproduce  in  any  words  the 
pathos  and  the  eloquence  of  scenes  which  followed  in 
that  hour.  They  formed  a  "monument  of  praise"  which 
any  Christian  man  might  covet,  and  were  an  earnest  of 


THE  LAST  DA  VS.  249 

that  rich  reward  which  all  shall  have  at  last  to  whom  it 
may  be  said,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit 
the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world :  for  I  was  a  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat :  I 
was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink  :  I  was  a  stranger,  and 
ye  took  me  in  :  naked  and  ye  clothed  me :  I  was  sick, 
and  ye  visited  me  :  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto 
me." 

After  the  congregation  had  taken  their  farewell,  the 
remains  were  borne  to  their  final  resting-place  at  Wood- 
lawn,  a  beautiful  cemetery  on  the  border  of  New  York. 
It  is  not  far  from  the  city,  and  the  many  friends  who 
loved  him  there  have  already  learned  to  think  it  nearer 
than  it  is.  The  plot  of  ground  selected  lies  almost  at 
the  summit  of  a  grassy  knoll  which  gently  slopes  towards 
the  rising  sun,  and  has  beneath  its  feet  a  little  sheet  of 
water  where  the  clouds  and  sunshine  and  the  stars  are 
mirrored  peacefully.  In  the  midst  of  beauties  which  he 
loved,  where  God  and  nature  speak  to  man  of  death  and 
life,  he  rests  from  all  his  toil.  And  as  we  turn  away 
from  this  sweet  resting-place,  we  can  but  repeat  the 
words  of  a  member  of  his  own  church  who  loved  and 
honored  him : 

"  One  living  a  life  so  consecrated  to  God  and 
Christ,  and  so  full  of  love  for  men,  is  always 
ready  for  death  j  and  at  the  end  of  forty-five 
years  has  lived  long,  because  he  has  lived  to  make 
existence  noble." 


"Servant  of  God,  well  done  !  rest  from  thy  loved  employ; 
The  battle  fought,  the  victory  won,  enter  thy  Master's  joy ! 

"The  cry  at  midnight  came:  he  started  up  to  hear; 
A  mortal  arrow  pierced  his  frame  ■  he  fell,  but  felt  no  fear. 

"  His  spirit  with  a  bound  left  its  encumbering  clay, 
His  tent  at  sunrise  on  the  ground  a  darkened  ruin  lay. 

"  Soldier  of  Christ,  well  done  !     Praise  be  thy  new  employ ; 
And  while  eternal  ages  run,  rest  in  thy  Saviour's  joy." 

JAMES  MONTGOMERY. 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE  A.  (Page  8;.)* 

MISSION  WORK   IN  NEW  YORK  PRES- 
BYTERIAN CHURCHES. 

B^   REV.  WILLIAM  J.  TUCKER,  D.  D., 

PASTOR  OF  THE   MADISON   SQUARE  CHURCH. 

The  success  of  Mission  work  in  New  York  City  un- 
der the  Chapel  system,  has  brought  about  a  state  of 
things  for  which  there  is  no  provision  in  the  Presbyterian 
order.  Presbyterianism  recognizes  simply  the  church 
and  the  regular  pastorate.  No  place  has  as  yet  been 
found  for  the  chapel,  or  for  those  who  do  pastoral  work 
in  connection  with  chapels.  The  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  full  recognition  of  this  work  and  of  these  workers  are 
greater  than  those  unfamiliar  with  church  work  in  this 
city  would  suppose.  It  ought  to  be  stated  that  the 
whole  matter  is  under  almost  constant  discussion  in  the 
New  York  Presbytery,  with  a  view  to  its  right  adjust- 
ment. 

The  first  difficulty  is  in  the  arrangement  of  church 
statistics.  The  column  of  church  statistics  in  the  min- 
utes of  the  General  Assembly  is  designed  to  give  a  fair 

*  Con>pare  also  page  65. 
22 


254  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

exhibit  of  the  work  and  benevolence  of  each  church  du- 
ring the  year.  But  the  churches  of  New  York  city  are 
divided  into  two  classes,  those  which  gather  the  results 
of  their  work  into  one  place,  and  those  which  gather  the 
results  of  their  work  in  some  permanent  form  at  the 
various  places  where  it  is  carried  on.  The  churches  of 
this  second  class  differ  from  the  first,  not  that  they  alone 
do  work  outside  themselves,  but  in  the  fact  that  they 
build  chapels,  gather  there  permanent  congregations,  and 
make  provision  for  the  ordinances  and  sacraments  of  the 
church. 

The  amount  of  church  life  which  flows  into  these 
chapels  varies  somewhat.  Perhaps  a  fair  statement  of 
the  present  relation  would  be  that  the  churches  furnish 
about  one  half  the  workers  and  about  two  thirds  of  the 
means  for  carrying  on  chapel  work.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  divide,  in  any  table  of 
statistics,  between  church  and  chapel.  And  it  will  also 
be  seen  that  any  comparison  among  the  churches  would 
be  unjust,  which  should  fail  to  credit  the  churches  which 
do  so  large  a  part  of  their  work  through  chapels,  with 
the  results  gained  there. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  injustice  is  evident  as  seen  in 
the  case  of  Mr.  Payson,  in  that  there  is  no  official  recog- 
nition of  those  who  do  pastoral  work  at  the  chapels,  and 
to  whose  leadership  the  success  of  the  various  enterprises 
is  so  largely  due.  And  none  deprecate  this  injustice 
more  than  those  pastors  whose  names  are  at  present 
used  to  represent  the  whole  work  of  the  church. 

It  is  questionable  whether  any  better  adjustment  can 


APPENDIX.  255 

be  made  at  this  point,  than  that  proposed  by  the  last 
committee  appointed  by  the  Presbytery  to  consider  this 
subject,  of  which  committee  Mr.  Payson  himself  was  a 
member.  The  plan  proposed  was  that  the  names  of 
those  doing  pastoral  work,  whether  at  church  or  chapel, 
if  members  of  the  Presbytery,  should  be  bracketed  togeth- 
er, and  placed  against  the  name  of  the  church,  the  statis- 
tics of  the  church,  which  follow,  remaining  as  at  present, 
undivided.  This  plan  allows  the  unity  of  the  church  to 
remain  unimpaired,  and  at  the  same  time  recognizes 
those  who  do  pastoral  work  without  the  pastoral  title. 

As  to  the  ministerial  standing  of  those  working  as 
pastors  at  the  chapels,  there  comes  in  a  second  difficulty. 
The  plan  just  proposed,  which  recognizes  them  in  their 
work,  does  not  meet  the  question  of  their  official  relation 
to  the  church.  Any  plan  which  shall  meet  this  question 
must  be  matured  in  the  General  Assembly,  as  it  might 
affect  the  order  of  the  churches  everywhere. 

As  has  been  said,  Presbyterianism  now  recognizes  only 
the  regular  pastorate  in  connection  with  the  local  church. 
Ordained  ministers,  not  in  the  pastorate,  are  known  as 
Evangelists  or  Stated  Supplies.  The  regular  pastorate 
allows  a  Colleague,  but  a  Colleague  would  not  represent 
the  duties  and  relations  of  a  chapel  pastor.  Here,  then, 
lies  the  real  and  essential  difficulty,  if  the  chapel  system 
is  to  become  a  permanent  factor  in  the  church  work  of 
New  York  city :  to  provide  a  pastoral  office  which  shall 
correspond  to  it  and  meet  its  requirements. 

It  was  the  misfortune  of  Mr.  Payson — which  all  who 
know  him  and  his  work  deeply  regret — that  he  wrought 


256  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

while  everything  was  in  the  formative  stage,  or  at  least, 
before  the  system  itself  had  taken  shape.  It  is  even  now 
a  question  in  the  New  York  Presbytery  whether  what  is 
known  as  the  Chapel  system  shall  or  shall  not  be  accept- 
ed as  permanent  and  final.  And  while  this  question  is 
pending,  it  may  not  be  wondered  at  that  the  Assembly 
fails  to  provide  a  special  pastoral  relation  for  which  there 
is  little  or  no  demand  outside  the  city  of  New  York. 

The  following  letter  is  from  the  Rev.  Thomas  S. 
Hastings,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Church 
of  this  city. 

New  York,  August  20,  1877. 

The  Rev.  Geo.  S.  Payson — My  dear  friend:  You  asked  me  to  put 
on  paper  some  things  which  I  have  said  about  your  lamented  brother  in 
the  peculiar  relations  which  he  sustained  as  a  Presbyter.  It  is  a  delicate 
and  a  difficult  task  to  treat  of  those  relations,  because  they  were  confessed- 
ly abnormal.  Your  brother  was  really,  but  not  technically,  a  pastor.  He 
was  compelled  year  after  year  to  see  his  name  appear  in  the  statistical 
tables  of  the  Minutes  of  the  General  Assembly  with  ominous  blanks  opposite 
to  it,  as  if  he  had  done  no  work  and  gathered  no  fruit  for  the  Master  he  so 
faithfully  served.  Sometimes  he  was  entered  in  those  tables  as  a  "Stated 
Supply,"  and  sometimes  as  a  "City  Missionary,"  and  sometimes  as  hold- 
ing no  official  position.  Yet  in  the  twenty  years  of  our  Presbyterial  asso- 
ciation, I  never  heard  from  him  one  word  of  complaint  about  this  anoma- 
lous condition  in  which  he  lived  so  long  and  worked  so  well. 

There  have  been  and  are  marked  differences  of  opinion  in  the  Pres- 
bytery on  this  subject  of  "  Chapel  Work."  Not  a  few  of  the  pastors  have 
complained  openly  that  the  brethren  in  charge  of  the  chapels  are  not  fair- 
ly treated  in  the  General  Assembly's  Minutes,  and  they  have  claimed  that 
the  statistics  of  their  work  should  be  put  to  their  credit  instead  of  being 
absorbed  in  the  statistics  of  the  churches  supporting  these  chapels.  They 
have  held  that  the  technical  difficulty  in  the  way  of  recognizing  and  record- 
ing these  brethren  as  pastors,  and  their  chapels  as  churches,  should  be 
disregarded. 

Others  have  insisted  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Presbytery  to  organize 
churches  at  these  chapels  and  to  install  the  incumbents  as  pastors.  If 
this  could  be  done,  it  certainly  would  be  the  proper  way  to  remedy  the 


APPENDIX.  257 

present  injustice.  Those  who  know  little  practically  about  "  chapel  work  " 
are  very  confident  that  this  is  the  proper  and  only  solution  of  the  difficulty ; 
but  the  pastors  who  are  engaged  in  maintaining  these  chapels  in  connec- 
tion with  their  churches  find  it  quite  impracticable  to  carry  out  this  idea, 
and  that  because  in  many  of  the  chapels  there  are  not  found  suitable  per- 
sons to  ordain  as  elders  and  deacons,  while  those  in  the  parent  church  who 
could  be  transferred  to  the  chapel  to  fill  these  important  offices  are  not 
willing  to  make  the  sacrifice  of  leaving  their  church  home  with  its  mani- 
fold ties. 

Another  secret  of  the  difficulty  is,  that  many  of  our  most  judicious 
laymen,  whose  sympathy  and  support  are  necessary  to  the  maintenance 
of  this  mission  work,  and  who  have  done  and  are  doing  excellent  service 
in  it,  are  honestly  convinced  that  it  is  not  at  present  wise  or  safe  to  or- 
ganize separate  churches  at  these  chapels.  They  have  seen  the  experi- 
ment tried  in  some  notable  instances,  where  the  results  were  every  way 
disastrous,  and  so  their  convictions  are  very  strong,  and  are  fully  shared 
by  a  number  of  our  wisest  and  most  experienced  pastors. 

This  whole  subject  has  been  frequently  and  earnestly  discussed  in  the 
Presbytery  of  New  York,  and  during  such  discussions  I  have  often  ad- 
mired the  discreet  and  patient  silence  of  your  brother  under  provocations 
which  he  must  have  keenly  felt.  My  own  position  on  this  difficult  subject 
has  been  so  pronounced,  that  it  would  have  been  quite  natural  that  at 
least  in  the  intimacy  of  personal  intercourse  he  should  speak  to  me  freely 
if  he  had  any  disposition  to  complain.  But  he  has  never  said  one  word 
to  me  in  a  way  to  indicate  that  he  was  annoyed  by  his  anomalous  position, 
or  that  he  was  concerned  about  his  personal  interests.  It  would  seem 
that  others  have  moved  in  this  matter,  when  it  was  supposed  that  he 
inspired  their  action,  and  so  he  was  subjected  to  misapprehension.  To 
me  it  is  a  pleasure  to  bear  testimony,  that,  so  far  as  I  know,  this  was  never 
the  case.  He  seemed  to  me  too  thoroughly  absorbed  in  his  work  to  care 
for  the  technicalities  to  which  I  have  referred.  His  whole  heart  was  in 
the  work  to  which  he  so  nobly  consecrated  his  life.  Some  of  his  brethren 
have  been  jealous  for  him,  but  he  seemed  jealous  only  for  the  cause  of 
the  Master  he  served.  Very  truly  yours, 

THOS.  S.  HASTINGS. 


The  unfriendly  influence  of  this  record  of  General 
Assembly  upon  the  reputation  of  mission  pastors  in  New 
York,  and  the  practical  injustice  which  any  one  of  them 


258  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

may  suffer  in  consequence,  may  be  illustrated  by  the  fol- 
lowing fact.  A  few  years  ago  a  prominent  church  in 
one  of  the  largest  cities  of  the  West,  was  in  search  of  a 
pastor,  and  among  the  many  names  commended  to  their 
notice,  that  of  Mr.  Payson  was  mentioned,  in  terms  of 
such  high  praise,  that  they  turned  at  once  to  the  Minutes 
of  General  Assembly  for  the  record  of  his  ministry. 
They  at  once  dismissed  all  farther  thoughts  of  him  as  a 
candidate  for  their  pulpit.  One  of  the  church  officers, 
when  afterwards  questioned  as  to  the  reason,  replied, 
"  We  looked  at  his  record,  and  found  nothing  but  blanks 
after  his  name  for  six  long  years,  and  we  concluded  that 
he  was  not  the  kind  of  man  we  sought.  .  .  .  The  IV 
C.'s  and  .S.  S.'s,"  he  added,  "  in  our  church  are  a  drug." 
( IV.  C.  is  the  abbreviation  used  in  the  Minutes  of  Gen- 
eral Assembly  to  designate  ministers  who  are  without 
charge) 


APPENDIX.  259 

NOTE  B. 

(Page  136,  foot  note.)* 


It  should  be  stated  here  that  Mr.  Payson  was  never 
wholly  satisfied  with  the  present  system  of  Presby- 
terian church  mission  work  in  New  York.  For  many 
years  previous  to  his  resignation,  he  had  been  ill  at  ease 
in  his  own  field.  He  could  not  reconcile  the  state  of 
things  existing  there  with  his  views  of  what  was  right, 
and  his  judgment  as  to  the  best  spiritual  interests  of 
those  committed  to  his  care.  The  chapel  people,  as  stick, 
were  not  represented  in  the  Committee  by  which  their 
affairs  were  administered.  In  his  judgment  it  was  both 
"  unscriptural  and  un-Presbyterian,"  that  a  church  of 
from  600  to  1,000  communicants  should  have  no  voice 
in  the  councils  which  determined  what  should  be  done 
for  them  ;  and  he  lost  no  suitable  opportunity  of  express- 
ing his  views  clearly  and  emphatically  upon  this  subject. 
He  was  especially  desirous  that  at  least  a  deacon  or  an 
elder,  or  one  or  two  of  the  Chapel  Committee  of  the  pa- 
rent church,  should  be  elected  from  the  chapel  people 
themselves. 

It  is  true  this  people  were  consulted  with  reference 
to  any  important  step  in  which  their  interests  were  in- 
volved, and  as  far  as  possible  their  wishes  were  gratified ; 

*  Compare  page?  128  and  133. 


2 Go  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

but  still,  the  power  of  governing  and  directing  the  affairs 
of  the  chapel  remained  exclusively  with  the  parent 
church.*  This  state  of  things  did  not  commend  itself 
to  Mr.  Payson's  approval,  and  was  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cient reasons,  though  not  the  immediate  occasion  of  his 
resignation. 


With  reference  to  their  prompt  acceptance  of  Mr. 
Payson's  resignation,  it  should  be  also  stated,  in  justice 
to  the  Committee,  that  there  was  an  intimate  connection 
between  this  step  and  the  action  referred  to  in  the  arti- 
cle for  the  "  Evangelist,"  quoted  on  page  1 29.  Some 
allusion  has  already  been  made  to  this  matter  on  page 
128,  but  in  addition  to  what  was  there  stated,  it  should 
be  said  that  "in  proposing  to  his  people  to  raise  $10,000 
towards  the  cost  of  a  new  building,  Mr.  Payson,  without 
consultation  or  authority,  took  a  position  far  in  advance 
of  the  Committee,  and  one  which  they  could  not  see  their 
way  clear  to  approve.  The  Madison  Square  Church  had 
no  definite  plan  or  purpose  with  regard  to  the  erection 
of  a  new  edifice,  and  the  Committee  saw  clearly  that  un- 
pleasant consequences  might  ensue  in  case  the  church 
should  decide  not  to  build.  The  money  could  not  be 
returned  to  the  donors,  for  they  were  unknown,  and  it 
could  not  rightfully  be  used  for  any  purpose,  except  that 
for  which  it  was  contributed.  Hence  the  Committee 
felt  constrained  to  decline  the  custody  of  the  money,  or 
in  any  way  to  commit  the  church  to  the  undertaking ;" 

*  Compare  page  72. 


APPENDIX.  261 

and  their  views  in  regard  to  this  matter  may  serve  as  at 
least  a  partial  explanation  of  their  action  in  this  case. 


It  would  reasonably  be  inferred,  after  all  that  has  been 
said  of  Mr.  Payson's  life  and  labors,  that  he  must  have 
reached  some  important  conclusions  concerning  the 
nature  of  mission  work  in  New  York  City  as  hitherto 
conducted  within  the  bounds  of  the  denomination  to 
which  he  belonged.  And  it  is  only  doing  justice  to  the 
truth  to  say  that  his  convictions  upon  this  matter  were 
as  decided  and  well-defined  as  they  were  individual.  He 
had  his  own  views  of  the  problem  of  city  evangelization, 
to  which  on  proper  occasions  he  did  not  hesitate  to  give 
the  fullest  and  freest  expression. 

And  perhaps  there  is  no  more  suitable  place  than 
this,  where  the  reader  will  have  obtained  a  fair  view  of 
the  whole  field,  to  record  his  clear  and  pronounced  judg- 
ment of  the  system  under  which  he  labored  for  so  many 
years,  and  in  which'  his  patience  and  self-devotion  were 
often  taxed  to  the  utmost. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Pastors'  Association  of  the  city 
of  New  York,  held  March  21,  1875,  at  the  special  request 
of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  he  opened  the  discussion 
for  the  day  by  remarks  upon  "  Mission  Chapels  as  related 
to  Christian  Work?  The  bare  abstract  herewith  given 
is  only  an  abstract,  and  served  merely  as  an  outline 
for  his  address  on  that  occasion,  but  it  is  sufficiently  full 
and  clear  to  furnish  an  index  of  his  views. 

The  great  problem  of  this  missionary  age,  (he  said,) 


262  ALL  FOR  CHRLST. 

is  how  to  reach  the  masses  with  the  gospel.  Scotland, 
with  Glasgow  at  the  head,  attempts  it  by  sustentation ; 
Philadelphia,  by  colonization ;  New  York,  by  the  so-call- 
ed mission  system,  commenced,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain, 
some  twenty-five  years  since. 

First  came  the  Sunday-school,  to  which  prayer-meet- 
ings and  church  services  under  theological  students  or 
ministers  were  added  as  the  necessity  for  their  assistance 
arose.  Sometimes  at  the  parent  church,  oftener  at  the 
chapel,  the  sacraments  were  administered.  All  support  of 
the  work  as  a  rule  came  from  the  parent  church ;  the 
entire  management  of  church,  school,  and  the  associated 
work,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  session,  or,  oftener,  of  a 
committee  appointed  by  the  parent  church.  They  ap- 
pointed all  officers,  even  to  a  pastor,  and  removed  them 
without  any  action  pro  or  con  on  the  part  of  the  mission 
congregation  ;  but  food  and  clothing  were  dispensed  with 
a  liberal  hand  until,  too  often,  on  the  part  of  those  assist- 
ed, it  was  deemed  a  favor  to  become  recipients  of  these 
largesses  and  to  indicate  their  approbation  by  conde- 
scending to  attend  the  services.  The  results  of  the  sys- 
tem after  trial  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  may  be  briefly 
summed  up  as  follows  : 

Of  the  three  schools  first  established,  one  always  re- 
mained without  distinct  organization  or  the  administra- 
tion of  sacraments  at  the  chapel.  After  a  long  and  pain- 
ful illness,  continued  through  most  of  its  existence,  it 
died  some  eight  or  ten  months  since.  The  second  grew 
into  a  distinct  organization,  but  so  cramped  and  hamper- 
ed in  every  direction  that  it  also  miserably   perished 


APPENDIX.  263 

within  ihe  past  year.  The  third,  after  losing  hundreds 
of  converts  who  had  united  with  a  church  which  has 
since  moved  up  town,  has  taken  a  new  lease  of  life  in 
Emmanuel  Chapel.  Under  the  faithful  labors  of  its 
pastor  and  the  sympathetic  cooperation  of  the  parent 
church,  it  has,  we  hope,  great  and  good  things  in  store. 

Of  the  chapels  since  organized  we  may  simply  add 
that  just  in  proportion  as  they  have  been  granted  church 
privileges  and  taught  to  do  the  utmost  for  themselves, 
have  they  advanced  towards  a  success.  Still  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  after  twenty-five  years  of  trial  the 
mission  system  in  New  York  is  yet  to  produce  its  first 
self-supporting  church.  When  we  contrast  these  results 
with  those  of  the  colonization  system  of  Philadelphia,  and 
especially  with  those  of  the  sustentation  in  Glasgow,  we 
may  well  ask  whether  New  York  has  attained  to  the  best 
possible. 


Let  me  conclude  with  presenting  a  summary  of  the 
advantages  and  disadvantages  of  the  mission  system. 

(I.)  The  Advantages  are:  1.  This  system  is  better 
than  nothing.  If  churches  can  only  exist  on  the  high 
lands  in  the  centre  of  the  island,  let  us  rejoice  that  there 
is  at-  least  some  remembrance  of  those  less-favored  thou- 
sands who  live  upon  its  borders. 

2.  It  provides  a  field  of  labor  for  the  members  of  the 
parent  church.  Some  of  the  noblest  workers  in  New 
York  to-day  have  been  developed  under  this  system. 

3.  It  has  saved  souls  not  a  few  ;  it  has  given  guidance 


264  ALL  FOR  CLLRIST. 

to  the  young  and  ignorant,  has  truly  aided  many  a  fami- 
ly in  destitution,  and  has  added  hundreds  to  our  church 
roll. 

(II.)  Disadvantages,  i.  It  is  contrary  to  the  genius 
of  Presbyterianism.  This  appears  in  the  fact  that  for 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  church-members  there  is  to- 
day no  representation It  is  shown  also  by  the  po- 
sition of  pastors  in  these  chapels.  Presbyterianism, 
after  twenty-five  years,  has  no  name  or  place  on  her  rec- 
ords for  them.  General  Assemblies,  Synods,  Presby- 
teries, and  Sessions,  have  striven  sometimes  by  subter- 
fuges to  avoid  the  dilemma,  but  it  still  presses. 

2.  Too  often  this  system  is  against  the  very  Bible 

itself In   some  of  our  chapels   no   contributions 

will  be  received  for   the   support  of   home  work 

Not  infrequently  they  even  foster  pauperism  and  deceit. 
Only  the  most  abject  of  Americans  and  foreigners  will 
attend  places  where  they  are  regarded  as  recipients  only. 

3.  It  prevents  colonization.  Our  Methodist  and  Bap- 
tist neighbors  are  continually  establishing  self-supporting 
churches  in  the  very  midst  of  our  missions.  Could  not 
Presbyterianism  do  the  same  if  managed  aright  ? 

4.  It  sacrifices  the  middle  classes  so  far  as  our  church 
is  concerned.  The  rich  men  of  New  York,  twenty  years 
hence,  are  poor  men  to-day.  They  are  the  industrious, 
ambitious  boys  and  girls  of  our  public  schools,  and  the 
young  people  coming  from  homes  of  industry  and  intel- 
ligence in  the  country.  They  will  not,  as  a  rule,  go  to 
our  chapels.  They  cannot  afford  seats  in  our  churches, 
and  so  they  drift  away  into  indifference,  or,  possibly,  into 


APPENDIX.  265 

some  church  with  which,  by  education  and  feeling,  they 
have  little  fellowship. 

5.  It  is  breaking  down  the  weaker  churches  of  our 
city.  Churches  that  for  years  have  done  a  splendid  work, 
that  occupy  excellent  positions,  are  dying  to-day  for  want 
of  assistance  comparatively  trivial.  Since  the  Reunion 
five  Presbyterian  churches  have  died.  Six,  out  of  thirty- 
eight  remaining,  are  to-day  without  pastors 

(III.)  Changes,  i.  Set  the  premium  on  virtue,  not 
vice.  Help  only  those  who  will  help  themselves.  En- 
force the  Bible  rule,  "  If  a  man  will  not  work,  neither  let 
him  eat." 

2.  Work  with  these  people  instead  oifor  them.  Paul 
became  all  things — a  Jew,  a  Greek,  a  Roman,  even 
"weak" — if  thereby  he  might  only  save  some.  Make 
these  people  helpers  and  workers  in  all  that  is  good. 

3.  Establish  a  Sustentation  Fund  that  will  give  a  fair 
support  to  the  pastors  of  any  church  that  regularly  con- 
tributes to  this  fund,  no  matter  where  or  what  that  church 
may  be. 


23 


266  ALL  FOR  CL1RLST. 

NOTE  C. 

(Page  226.) 


EXTRACT  FROM  MINUTES  OF  THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  NEW 
YORK,  MARCH  5,  1877. 

The  Rev.  Charles  H.  Payson,  for  eighteen  years  a 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  died  in  the  midst  of  his  work, 
January  24,  1877.  He  was  from  the  time  of  his  ordina- 
tion a  member  of  this  Presbytery,  and  his  entire  work 
was  within  the  limits  of  this  city. 

Mr.  Payson  possessed  in  unusual  degree  the  qualifi- 
cations for  the  ministry  of  Christ.  He  was  responsive  to 
the  truth.  His  whole  nature  kindled  under  the  truths 
of  revelation.  He  watched  for  the  "  light  to  break  out 
of  God's  Holy  Word  ;"  and  whatever  he  saw  and  felt, 
that  he  declared  with  an  increasing  joy.  The  pulpit  was 
to  him  never  a  burden  or  a  weariness,  but  always  a  de- 
light. And  he  was  a  lover  of  men.  Recognizing  in  all 
the  possible  image  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  he  endeavored  to 
make  the  work  of  Christ  real  and  evident  in  character. 
He  knew  no  distinctions  among  those  to  whom  he  minis- 
tered, but  gave  himself  with  an  equal  energy  and  love  to  all. 

With  these  qualifications,  which  are  everywhere  the 
signs  of  the  ministry,  he  would  have  been  in  any  field  a 
successful  minister.  The  peculiar  success,  therefore, 
which  attended  his  work  among  us  was  the  result  of 
adaptation.  He  fitted  himself — it  may  reverently  be 
said  "he  straightened  himself" — to  the  end  before  him. 


APPENDIX.  267 

His  consecration  was  so  complete  that  he  knew  no 
conflicting  purposes,  and  to  the  work  to  which  he  had 
set  himself  apart  he  brought  all  his  energies  and  enthu- 
siasm, all  the  acquisitions  from  study  and  travel  and  the 
growing  resources  of  his  faith.  So  that  his  ministry, 
though  quickly  told  in  years,  has  left  the  impression  and 
the  power  with  many  of  the  results  of  a  finished  work. 

Mr.  Payson  was  a  man  of  marked  individuality.  As 
the  end  which  he  proposed  to  himself  was  distinct  and 
personal,  so  were  his  convictions,  opinions,  and  habits.  He 
held  firmly  to  his  own  principles  and  methods,  though  in  a 
large  spirit  of  charity  towards  those  with  whom  he  differed. 

He  went  in  and  out  among  us  in  all  ways  of  genial 
companionship,  always  revealing  the  sympathies  of  a 
large,  true-hearted  man.  In  his  death  he  bore  witness 
to  the  faith  in  which  he  lived.  He  went  out  from  us,  as 
he  had  lived  among  us,  bravely,  and  in  a  great  trust  in 
his  Redeemer. 

It  is  therefore  with  heartfelt  gratitude  that  we  put 
upon  the  records  of  this  Presbytery  our  estimate  of  the 
services  and  the  life  of  our  brother.  Conscious  of  our 
loss  as  we  still  work  for  Christ,  we  thank  God  for  the 
example  which  is  one  of  such  consecration,  fidelity,  and 
trust  in  Christian  service.  And  in  our  sympathies  with 
those  most  bereaved,  the  church  to  which  he  ministered, 
and  specially  the  household  of  his  care  and  love,  we  do 
rejoice  in  those  comforts  of  God  which  gather  about 
these  and  all  remembrances  of  our  dead. 

WILLIAM  J.  TUCKER, 
ERSKINE  N.  WHITE,    \  Commit 
WILLIAM  ADAMS, 


26S  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

RESOLUTIONS  OF  THE  PHILOTHEAN  SOCIETY. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Philothean  Society,  on  Saturday, 
January  27,  1877,  it  was  the  unanimous  desire  of  the 
members  to  convey  to  the  widow  of  our  dear  brother, 
Charles  H.  Payson,  some  expression  of  our  high  appre- 
ciation of  him,  of  our  grief  at  his  loss,  and  of  our  sympa- 
thy for  her  in  her  great  bereavement.  By  one  of  the 
paradoxes  of  sorrow,  his  departure  has  made  him  unusu- 
ally prominent  ;  and  as  his  character  passes  before  the 
regard  of  loving  eyes,  he  seems  grand  and  noble  and 
true ;  a  scholar  whose  most  delightful  study  was  God's 
revealed  word  ;  a  minister  who  plead  for  the  reconcilia- 
tion of  sinners  to  God  as  though  he  stood  indeed  in 
Christ's  stead ;  a  pastor  whose  charge  was  any  who 
needed  or  asked  his  counsel ;  a  Christian  who  was  seek- 
ing continually  a  deeper  consecration  ;  a  brother  friendly, 
faithful,  charitable,  beloved. 

His  decease  flings  our  thoughts  back  upon  the  prom- 
ises of  God,  upon  the  words  of  our  Master  touching  the 
resurrection,  upon  the  benediction  of  the  Voice  from 
heaven :  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord ;" 
and  we  are  comforted  in  the  thought  that  "  absent  from 
the  body"  is  "present  with  the  Lord."  Our  sorrow  may 
lead  us  to  sympathize  with  her  whose  grief  reaches 
depths  that  we  cannot  sound,  and  whose  loss  is  the  loss 
of  a  husband,  pastor,  guide,  support — all  in  one.  And 
our  comfort  in  Christ  will  lead  us  to  pray  that  the  ever- 
lasting arms  may  be  about  her,  and  that  she  may  be 
taught  to  say  with  simple,  affectionate  faith,  "The  Lord 
is  my  husband." 


APPENDIX.  269 

It  was  resolved  that  a  copy  of  this  minute  be  for- 
warded to  the  widow  of  our  deceased  brother. 

S.  B.  ROSS  ITER, 
E.  D.  MURPHY. 


RESOLUTIONS    PRESENTED    TO    MRS.   CHARLES    PAYSON 
AND  FAMILY  BY  THE  SOCIAL  BIBLE-CLASS. 

It  having  pleased  our  heavenly  Father  to  remove 
from  his  active  labors  in  our  midst  our  beloved  pastor 
and  friend,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Payson,  we,  the  undersigned, 
desire  to  sympathize  with  you  in  your  deep  bereavement, 
and  to  express  our  sincere  love  for  him,  and  the  deep 
loss  all  have  sustained  who  knew  him  as  a  teacher, 
guide,  and  counsellor.     But  our  loss  is  his  gain. 

"  None  knew  him  but  to  love  him, 
None  named  him  but  to  praise." 

We  never  shall  forget  the  great  interest  he  mani- 
fested towards  us  at  all  times,  but  especially  how,  upon 
the  last  Sabbath  in  which  he  was  engaged  in  the  Mas- 
ter's work  on  earth,  he  visited  us,  speaking  words  of  de- 
light and  encouragement,  and  leaving  his  heartfelt  wishes 
for  our  good.  The  soul  of  our  pastor  overflowed,  and 
our  souls  were  reached.  He  spoke  truly,  and  his  words 
have  been  fruitful  seeds  in  our  hearts.  He  was  the 
voice  of  Christ  speaking  to  us  words  of  warning,  counsel, 
and  tenderness  ;  and  his  last  words,  "  Cling  to  Christ," 
will  long  be  remembered  and  cherished  as  the  motto  of 
our  lives. 

Seldom  can  the  bereaved  heart  reject  an  expression 

* 


270  ALL  FOLi  CLLRLST. 

of  grateful  remembrance  in  which  the  departed  are  held 
by  those  in  whom  their  past  attention  and  kindness  have 
wakened  a  deep  interest  and  attachment.  Therefore  we 
are  fully  persuaded  that  you  will  acquit  us  of  all  inten- 
tion of  intruding  upon  your  deep  grief,  when  we  endeavor 
to  console  you  in  a  measure  by  directing  your  attention 
from  your  great  loss  to  Him  who  afflicteth  not  willingly, 
and  enableth  us  to  say,  in  the  exercise  of  our  pastor's 
trust  and  confidence,  "  It  is  the  Lord's  will ;  let  him  do 
as  seemeth  good  in  his  sight." 

Never  was  he  so  dear,  so  true,  so  noble,  as  when  you 
now  think  of  him  as  having  but  reflected  the  love  of  Him 
who  is  the  true  Husband  of  the  widow,  the  Father  of  the 
fatherless.  Through  the  wonderful  grace  of  God  it  is 
your  portion  and  ours  to  rejoice  in  a  blessed  hope  that 
while  he  cannot  return  to  us,  we  all  may  go  to  him,  thus 

clinging  to  Christ. 

Signed  by  A.  R.  COLTON,  Teacher, 
and  every  member  of  the  class. 


RESOLUTIONS    ADOPTED    BY    CITY    MISSION    SOCIETY, 
NEW  YORK,  JANUARY  29,  1877. 

The  missionaries  of  the  New  York  City  Mission  and 
Tract  Society,  at  their  regular  meeting  held  on  Satur- 
day, January  27,  1877,  hearing  of  the  death  of  their 
friend  and  brother,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Payson  of  the  Me- 
morial Chapel  of  this  city,  passed  unanimously  the  fol- 
lowing resolution :  that  having  often  been  associated 
with  the  Rev.  Charles  H.  Payson  in  missionary  work,  we 


APPENDIX.  271 

heartily  unite  in  testifying  to  our  sense  of  his  high  Chris 
tian  character  and  of  his  eminently  successful  ministry 
among  the  people  for  whom  he  labored ;  and  we  do 
hereby  tender  our  sincere  sympathies  to  his  bereaved 
church  and  his  stricken  family,  and  pray  that  the  God  of 
all  comfort  may  console  and  sustain  them  in  this  afflic- 
tive dispensation. 

In  behalf  of  the  missionaries, 

JOHN  RUSTON. 

We  cannot  forbear  adding  here  a  part  of  a  letter  of 
sympathy  from  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Me- 
morial Chapel.  It  breathes  a  spirit  which  we  hope  and 
pray  may  become  the  prevailing  spirit  among  a  people 
so  deeply  bereaved  and  so  greatly  blessed. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Payson  :  .  .  .  Yesterday  at  our  female  prayer-meet- 
ing, Mrs. prayed  for  you  and  your  children  with  so  much  earnest  and 

tender  feeling,  that  it  did  me  good,  and  I  thought — it  does  not  always  re- 
quire learning  to  make  eloquence.  These  meetings  have  begun  well  and 
now  we  want  the  answers  to  prayer  in  a  church  fully  united,  and  a  large 
ingathering  of  precious  souls.  I  think  I  mentioned  to  you  that  a  verse  in 
Isaiah  was  very  forcibly  impressed  upon  me,  soon  after  Mr.  Payson's 
death,  "This  people  have  I  formed  for  myself;  they  shall  show  forth  my 
praise,"  and  how  it  comforted  me  in  view  of  the  nvysterious  blow  that  took 
our  dear  pastor  away.  Then  I  realized,  too,  that  the  best  way  I  could  shcno 
my  loyalty  to  your  husband  would  be  to  stay  in  the  church  he  so  loved,  and 
seek  its  peace  and  advancement. 

We  have  very  much  to  be  grateful  for  in  the  faithful  ministrations  of 
Mr.  E both  in  the  pulpit  and  out  of  it,  and  very  soon,  he  and  the  peo- 
ple will  know  each  other  for  their  mutual  comfort,  I  am  sure.  .  .  . 

I  have  written  all  this  because  I  know  that  your  interest  in  this  church 
can  never  cease,  and  that  you  and  your  husband  are  identified  with  it  be- 
yond all  time.  This  thought  is  very  sweet  to  me.  How  many  ways  the 
Lord  has  of  broadening  and  deepening  our  best  affections. 


72  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

NOTE  D. 

(Page  232.) 


The  following  tribute  to  his  worth  appears  in  an  arti- 
cle upon  the  public  services  at  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Payson, 
and  is  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.  D.,  of  New 
York  city. 

FALLEN  ON  THE  FIELD. 

The  day — it  was  in  January— was  bright  overhead. 
The  sun  sent  his  kindly  rays  down  on  a  frozen  land,  and 
in  the  streets  of  the  city,  where  the  pure  snow  cannot  long 
escape  the  contamination  of  city  life,  the  walks  had  be- 
come damp  and  muddy.  It  was  all  fair  when  you  looked 
up — it  was  slippery  and  comfortless  when  you  looked 
down.  It  was  like  enough  the  race  now  ended,  that  had 
been  run  in  difficult  and  often  disagreeable  places,  but 
over  it,  ever  shining  and  warming,  all  the  light  of  an 
uncreated  Sun.  The  day  and  our  thoughts  harmonized — 
all  below  was  unlovely — all  above  was  sunshine. 

For  we  are  going  to  his  funeral.  He  was  a  minis- 
ter— it  matters  little  of  what  denomination.  That  is  the 
reason  that  the  building  is  already  crowded,  though 
there  is  hardly  a  carriage  about  the  door;  and  though 
no  word  has  yet  been  spoken,  nor  the  casket  been  car- 
ried in,  many  faces  are  tearful,  and  many  eyes  are  red 
with  weeping.  They  have  left  space  for  brother  minis- 
ters on  one  side,  and  as  they,  with  many  names,  crowd 


APPENDIX.  273 

into  it,  they  too,  catch  the  spirit  of  the  scene,  and  their 
greetings  are  silent  and  sorrowful.  The  assembly  is  far 
too  great  for  all  to  have  seats.  Round  that  farther  wall 
is  a  line  of  young  men — such  young  men  as  earn  honest 
bread  with  their  hands.  They  too,  look  as  if  their 
brother  had  died.  And  on  the  other  side,  and  all  around, 
are  troops  of  weeping  women ;  and  mingling  with  the 
children,  here  and  there,  their  fathers — not  so  many  of 
them,  for  they  in  most  cases  had  to  work.  Not  often 
does  one  see  fifteen  hundred  persons  so  moved  by  one 
feeling ;  so  hushed  in  the  presence  of  one  great  sorrow. 
Why  is  this  ?  Who  is  to  be  buried  ?  A  popular  leader  ? 
a  large  employer  ?  a  famous  man  ?  No  :  the  pastor  of 
the  congregation.  That  was  his  pulpit — his  throne. 
This  goodly,  even  stately  building  (for  though  it  was  not 
for  the  rich,  why  should  it  not  be  rich  to  lift  up  the 
worshippers  ?)  this  fair  church  was  his  workroom.  These 
were  his  people — more  than  fellow-citizens,  more  than 
neighbors,  more  than  acquaintances,  more  than  friends, 
more,  even  in  some  sense,  than  family  —  his  people. 
Those  sad-faced  youths  he  called  "my  young  men." 
Those  young  women  he  called  "  my  Bible-class."  Those 
sobered  boys  and  girls  he  called  "  my  children."  They 
all  loved  him,  for  he  loved  them  all,  and  they  knew  it 
well.  And  now  they  were  carrying  him  into  his  own 
church  to  lay  him  down  in  death-silence  before  his  own 
pulpit,  that  devout  men  might  make  lamentation  over 
him,  before  they  carried  him  out  to  his  burial.  No  won- 
der that  they  wept. 

He  was   a   minister  among  the  poor,  and  to  them. 


274  ALL  FOR  CLLRLST. 

That  man  whose  ungloved  hand  is  furtively  wiping  a  tear 
as  if  he  was  ashamed  of  it,  used  to  drink,  while  his  wife 
wept  and  prayed.  The  pastor  used  to  go  to  the  house, 
cheered  the  mother,  took  the  children  into  the  infant 
class,  (they  found  some  garments  on  the  way,)  and  they 
learned  hymns  and  verses  and  bright,  good  child-ways 
that  lightened  their  mother's  darkened  lot  and  room  ;  and 
one  day  the  pastor  happened  to  see  their  father,  who  got 
to  trust  him  and  like  him,  and  at  length  he  must  needs 
go  and  see  how  all  this  thing  is  done;  and  as  he  got  into 
the  habit  of  going,  he  dropped  out  of  the  habit  of  going 
to  "  the  corner  ;"  and  now  he  is  a  man,  with  a  lovely  fam- 
ily. He  will  never  trouble  the  police,  nor  be  a  charge  on 
the  state.  He  knows  to-day  that  all  he  is,  and  all  his 
children  are,  he  owes  to  the  brother-man  whose  body  is 
to  be  carried  past  him  there  to  the  front  of  his  pulpit. 

There  is  a  woman  in  faded  mourning,  crying  as  if  her 
heart  would  break.  Her  son  was  her  support.  You  see 
him  yonder  in  the  line;  and  when  work  could  not  be  had, 
the  minister  went  round  to  an  employer  and  told  the 
story,  and  said,  "I  don't  want  them  to  lose  their  self- 
respect  by  getting  charity;"  and  the  boy  got  work,  and 
felt  that  he  ought  to  do  it  well,  for  the  sake  of  him  who 
procured  it ;  and  that  boy  never  will  beg  nor  let  his  moth- 
er want.  There  is  something  in  him  that  disinclines  him 
to  dependence. — And  next  to  the  widow  you  may  see  a 
homely  face,  young,  but  full  of  distress.  She  is  a  domes- 
tic, from  the  north  of  Ireland.  While  her  father  was 
strong  she  had  not  "to  go  out,"  but  when  he  lost  his 
health  she  came  to  America.     The  minister  was  her  best 


APPENDIX.  275 

friend — her  counsellor,  her  confidant.  When  she  had 
ten  dollars  to  send  home,  he  put  her  in  the  way  to  do  it ; 
when  she  was  out  of  place  she  consulted  him,  and  he 
found  her  a  safe  lodging  ;  she  called  to  tell  him  her  new 
address  when  she  was  engaged  again.  By  his  advice  she 
had  put  a  little  money  in  a  savings-bank.  The  one  ser- 
mon she  could  hear  on  Sunday  brightened  her  week. 
And  now  he  is  gone,  and  she  feels  lonely  as  the  day  she 
landed.  "  Next  to  my  father,"  the  simple  creature  says 
in  her  grief,  "  I  loved  him  the  best  in  all  the  world." 

Surely,  surely,  far  beyond  what  Board  or  Committee 
can  give,  there  are  rewards  to  the  workers  in  the  tene- 
ments and  lowlier  homes  of  the  people — present  rewards 
in  the  priceless  love  of  grateful  hearts,  coming  rewards 
from  Him  who  says,  "  Ye  did  it  unto  Me!" 

A  stir  and  a  rustle  behind,  and  a  deeper  stillness  for 
a  moment — and  then  the  people  rise,  not  now  to  praise 
God  at  the  pastor's  call,  but  to  receive  his  silent  form.  The 
casket  is  laid  down  ....  The  minister  was  a  man — with 
his  own  home-joys  and  cares.  They  realize  how  near  he 
came  to  them.  Mothers  there  remember  how  he  bent 
over  their  dead  children.  Widows,  whose  stay  he  was, 
look  in  pity  at  that  sweet,  wondering  baby-face  that 
father  shall  not  kiss  again,  and  their  tears  flow  amain. 
Minister  and  people — they  are  one,  according  to  God's 
blessed  plan — one  household,  an  extension  of  the  fami- 
ly, with  common  joys  and  sorrows ;  and  he  was  a  great, 
strong,  loving  elder  brother  among  them,  who  led  them 
and  comforted  them,  and  helped  them,  and  loved  them — 
and  he  is  dead  !  They  are  sorrowing  most  of  all  for  this, 
that  they  shall  see  his  face  no  more. 


zfo  ALL  FOR  CHRIST. 

What  need  of  any  words  now,  but  of  "  Resurrection 
of  Life  V*  Fathers,  brethren,  classmates,  companions 
in  labor — what  can  they  say  so  eloquent,  so  touching,  so 
softening  as  is  said  by  his  people  there  ?  No  need  to 
tell  us  he  was  brave  and  true,  and  tender-hearted,  and 
that  love  to  his  Master  made  him  love  his  charge.  Their 
faces,  their  tears  tell  it.  They  in  their  homes,  lives, 
hopes,  tell  it,  and  as  one  studies  the  scene,  his  mind 
travels  beyond  it — beyond  the  bowed  widow  and  her  or- 
phans— beyond  the  fair  structure — out  into  the  crowded 
thoroughfares,  and  over  the  land,  and  one  longs  to  cry 
out — O  men  and  brethren,  reforming  and  bewailing 
crimes,  and  corruption,  taxation,  and  all  unlovely  things 
that  mar  our  freedom  and  block  our  difficult  way — get 
men  like  him  to  work,  and  give  them  room ;  and  sooner 
and  cheaper  and  better,  than  by  all  your  statutes  and 
commissions  and  costly  machinery,  will  you  make  our 
city — ay,  and  our  town  and  country  life — pure  and  sweet 
and  noble.  Charles  Paysons,  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
blessed  peacemakers,  wise  teachers,  good  friends,  are 
more  and  mightier  than  your  costliest  array  of  police 
and  your  best  balanced  legislation  for  pacifying,  purify- 
ing, and  elevating  the  people. 


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